Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Pieridae Scientific name Pieris bryoniae | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Tribe Pierini Rank Species | |
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Similar Pieris ergane, Pieris mannii, Pontia callidice, Colias phicomone, Pieris krueperi | ||
Pieris bryoniae, the dark-veined white or mountain green-veined white, is a European butterfly of the family Pieridae.
It is much sought after by collectors, particularly in Austria. This is because one of the most variable populations of this butterfly lives in the well-known Mödling area near Vienna.
There has been a long debate among experts as to whether it is an independent species or only a subspecies of the "green-veined white", Pieris napi.
The type locality of the nominate form is the Alps, where it is found at considerable altitudes (up to 2000 m) and has only one generation per year. Both pairs of the female's wings are dark. At lower altitudes, two or three generations appear during a year. Subspecies neobryoniae, closely resembles the Carpathian populations, and is found in the southern parts of the Alps and ssp. flavescens Wagner inhabits the northern parts. The ground coloration of the wings is yellowish or rich yellow, often with a mauve gloss. The populations inhabiting the Carpathians are very varied. The most distinct ones include the ssp. vihorlatensis found in Vihorlat, the east Slovak mountains.
