Becker's White
In these areas where Becker's Whites fly well, one can easily rear this butterfly either by collecting a live female and caging her for eggs (see video) or by looking for larvae on any of the mustards this butterfly uses.
In Central Utah and Western Colorado, finding late instar larvae on princes plume (Stanleya pinnata) around June isn't too difficult because of the strip patterns the larvae create on this and other host mustards.
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Becker's White Adult Male
Becker's white adult male nectaring on thistle.
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Pierid Portable Cage
Small cage where pierid (white family) females lay eggs. In this photo, the females are desert orangetips ovipositing on Caulanthus lasiophyllum.
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Closed Container
Raising pierids like the becker's white in a closed container is a fast and easy way to raise a late instar caterpillar that you have found. All you need to do is place a single sprig of host cuttings into a squat tube with a lid poked with holes, and replace plant and frass twice a day. This method, however, is somewhat arduous, if you are dealing with more than a few caterpillars.
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Caterpillar Rearing Bucket
An effective method of raising caterpillars of the becker's white is to place caterpillars on cuttings of pinnate tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata), dyar's woad (Isatis tinctoria), tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum), princes plume (Stanleya pinnata), rocky mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata) black mustard (Brassica nigra) or any other suitable mustard host. Place cuttings in bottled water and place inside a five or six gallon bucket. Cut a hole out of the lid and fasten butterfly net material around the hole so that caterpillars can't escape. Remove frass and provide fresh plant every four to five days!
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Dyar's Woad Cuttings in Bottles of Water
This is dyars woad; considered an invasive and undesirable weed in the Western U.S. However, caterpillars of the becker's white, checkered white, cabbage white, large marble, desert marble, olympia marble, spring white, sara orangetip, and julia orangetip ALL feed fine on dyars woad (Isatis tinctoria.)
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Black Mustard
Black mustard (Brassica nigra) grows in canyons as well as agricultural ditches in Colorado, Utah, Idaho north towards the Pacific Northwest. Becker's White caterpillars can be found on this plant where the butterfly flies.
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Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata) is another host plant for becker's whites, common whites, and western whites. It grows in mountain valleys of the Great Basin and Central Utah.
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Prince's Plume
Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) is another common plant that becker's whites use and grows along roadsides, near ravines, and near mountainous areas of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Western Slope of Colorado. If you live near Price, Utah; Grand Junction, Colorado; or Wendover, Nevada, this is a good plant to look for eggs and caterpillars of this butterfly in May and June.
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Prince's Plume Flowers
Closeup of the inflorescens of Stanleya pinnata.
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Pinnate Tansymustard
Pinnate Tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata) is another host plant of the becker's white. It grows sporadically throughout the Great Basin taking refuge in ravines as well as under Juniper trees. It also grows in desert washes throughout the Mojave Desert during wet springs.
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Tumble Mustard
Tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) grows in disturbed areas througout the Intermountain West. This is another host mustard for the becker's white.
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Recognize Late Instar Caterpillar Strip Patterns
Becker's White caterpillars, like many other pierid larvae, feed on the flowers of mustards. They will strip down the stalk of the host which makes them conspicuous to find. Click here for more information on recognizing and leveraging caterpillar strip patterns.
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Caterpillar Strip Patterns II
This is a photo taken in the field of princes plume (Stanleya pinnata). It's somewhat difficult to see the strip patterns because of the contrast of the plant against the background soil.
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Becker's White Fourth Instar Caterpillar
This caterpillar is set to molt. When raising caterpillars and replacing out your host plant every five days, NEVER attempt to move a caterpillar that is set to molt or set to shed in this way. Wait until it molts before moving it to fresh host.
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Becker's White Fifth Instar Caterpillar
Closeup of fifth instar caterpillar feeding on pinnate tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata).
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Becker's White Pupa
The pupae of Pontia beckeri protect themselves from bird predation by looking like bird lime (poop).
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Becker's White Emerges
Photos courtesy Nicky Davis and myself.
