Resident in eastern North America (Scott 1986). Habitats are IN OR NEAR OPEN WOODS. Host plants are usually herbaceous and include many species, but mostly in one family, Cruciferae. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There is one flight each year with the approximate flight time MAR1-MAY31 depending on latitude (Scott 1986).

Males have orange coloration on tips of forewings, but females do not.

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Connecticut (apparently formerly Massachusetts) to coastal Georgia, and west to Missouri and Texas. Widespread but local.

endemic to a single nation

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Comments: Open areas in deciduous forests or pine barrens, especially in moist riaprian areas or on dry open ridge tops, glades and various kinds of barrens (such as serpentine and shale). Larval hosts are in family Brassicaceae. Becoming increasingly rare in richer forests due to invasive exotics, especially garlic mustard, but populations in xeric habitats are generally unaffected. Adults and larvae are not found more than a few meters from trees but ecotones between fields and woods are common habitats at least in coastal plain. Since pupation is up in small trees or shrubs this species can utilize plowed or burned fields successfully as long as such disturbances are not during the larval period. Grassland/herbaceous and odl field checkoffs are not indicated because only their edges are normally used.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: Subspecies ANNICKAE is widespread and can adapt to some weedy situations. While there is a serious threat in some parts of the range the species seems quite secure in some others.

Degree of Threat: B : Moderately threatened throughout its range, communities provide natural resources that when exploited alter the composition and structure of the community over the long-term, but are apparently recoverable

Comments: This species is threatened in significant areas by the spread of garlic mustard which is out competing certain native foodplants and upon which females oviposit. The plant is lethal to the larvae. While this threat will probably eliminate the species in some areas, perhaps widely on the piedmont, where it is using relatively rich forest habitats, A. M. ANNICKAE should still be secure in areas where it now utilizes mainly xeric or unforested habitats.

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: Species is also classified as FALCAPICA MIDEA. Anthocharis is sometimes (incorrectly) spelled ANTHOCARIS. Subspecies Midea (coastal plain of Carolinas and Georgia) is very distinctive and apparently disjunct. Subspecies ANNICKAE (including TEXANAE Gatrelle, 1998) occupies almost the entire range.