Pontia protodice

Beginner Rearing Instructions: Checkered White

Photo Life History:  Pontia protodice

Habitat:  Mountain Canyons; Pinyon Juniper; Agricultural Areas; Valley Wet Meadows; Mountain Hilltops; Valley Lakes & Rivers; Desert Hills & Mountains; Urban-Suburban

Host Plants: Brassica nigra; Brassica kaber; Stanleya pinnata; Isatis tinctoria; Descurainia pinnata; Cardaria draba; Cleome serrulata; Sisymbrium altissimum; Arabis sparsiflora.

Suitable Lab Host Plants: Brassica oleracea.  Almost any mustard will serve in the lab.  Avoid Descurainia sophia.

Caring for Live Female Butterflies:  Feed females regularly. 

Methods of Female Oviposition:  Portable Cages; Open Screen Cages  (Females can be quite prolific at laying dozens if not hundreds of eggs in the lab.)

How to Find Eggs: Look on the ventral surface of  leaves of mustards towards the bottom of the plant.  Females will sometimes prefer short plants.  Larvae prefer inflorescens if available.  Always remember to check isolated host plants when looking for eggs or immatures of this butterfly.

How to Hatch Eggs:  Separate eggs individually.

How to Find Caterpillars in the Field:  Look for Caterpillar Strip Patterns. 

Caterpillar setups:  Open Bucket; Twin Cup Method

Larva to Pupa:  Larva Changes Color

How to Find Pupae in the Field:

Number of Broods per Year: 2-3 broods; depending upon location.

Overwintering Stage:  Pupa. 

Overwintering Strategies: Your Own Backyard; Refrigerator

Post-Hibernation Strategies: Expose pupae to warmer temperatures, long-day photoperiod, and intermittant humidity (mist spray with water once or twice a day).

Avoiding Diapause Techniques:   Provide larvae with healthy host plant. 

Disease Prevention:  Change out host plant and remove frass every five to six using the open bucket method.

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Field Notes: