Checkered White

Checkered White Butterflies

Front Row: Common Checkered white male and female. Bottom Row: Male and female underside (or ventral surface.)

Checkered White male (spring form)

Here is a photo of the early spring form of the checkered white butterfly.

Dyars Woad Cuttings in Bottles of Water

An effective method of raising caterpillars of the checkered white in the spring is to place caterpillars on cuttings of common mustards. This is dyars woad; considered an invasive and undesirable weed in the Western U.S. However, caterpillars of the checkered white, cabbage white, large marble, desert marble, olympia marble, spring white, and julia orangetip ALL feed fine on dyars woad (Isatis tinctoria.)

Potted Pink Cabbage Plant

Some nurseries sell pink cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Both checkered white and cabbage white caterpillars will feed on this plant.

Potted Pink Cabbage Plant

Pink cabbage plant is covered with a paint strainer to protect larvae against predators such as spiders and earwigs. Place the potted plant near direct or filtered sunlight and water regularly.

This is just one of several potentially successful techniques of raising caterpillars of this butterfly.

Checkered White Caterpillar

Here is another method of raising checkered white butterflies.

This is a third instar checkered white caterpillar in a twin cup setup on pink cabbage. The leaf of the pink cabbage protrudes down the hole of the one small container into the other container (bottled water bottle sliced in half) filled with water. For more information on how to create this setup, see this video.

Checkered White Third Instar Caterpillar

Closeup of previous photo.

Checkered White Young First Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Second Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Fifth instar larva

Here is a photo of a fifth instar checkered white caterpillar feeding on princes plume (Stanleya pinnata).

Checkered White Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Pontia protodice fifth instar on lab host pink cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

Checkered White Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White

Checkered White Butterflies

Checkered White male (spring form)

Dyars Woad Cuttings in Bottles of Water

Potted Pink Cabbage Plant

Potted Pink Cabbage Plant

Checkered White Caterpillar

Checkered White Third Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Young First Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Second Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Second Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Fifth instar larva

Checkered White Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Checkered White Pupa