Belenois zochalia

Belenois zochalia, the forest white or forest caper white, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found in Africa.

Side view of female B. z. zochalia

Belenois zochalia
Male B. z. zochalia from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Female B. z. zochalia from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pieridae
Genus:	Belenois
Species:	B. zochalia
Binomial name
Belenois zochalia (Boisduval, 1836)[1]
Synonyms
Pieris zochalia Boisduval, 1836 Pieris agrippinides Holland, 1896 Pieris hyoma Boisduval, 1836 Pieris zochalia var. immaculata Wichgraf, 1913 Pieris zochalia var. pondoana Neustetter, 1916 Pieris zochalia var. pondoana ab. flavipennis Neustetter, 1916 Pieris zochalia f. reducta Le Doux, 1923 Pieris zochalia f. grisea Le Doux, 1923 Pieris zochalia f. elly Le Doux, 1923 Belenois zochalia f. silvano Stoneham, 1957 Belenois zochalia f. marjoria Stoneham, 1957 Belenois formosa Butler, 1898 Belenois zochalia var. ochracea Heron, 1909 Pieris zochalia ab. bryki Aurivillius, 1925 Belenois zochalia agrippinides f. latilimbalis Talbot, 1943 Belenois zochalia f. veronica Stoneham, 1957 Pieris crawshayi connexiva Joicey & Talbot, 1927 Belenois zochalia camerunica Bernardi, 1966 Pieris zochalia galla Ungemach, 1932 Pieris zochalia depunctata Ungemach, 1932

The wingspan is 40–50 mm. Adults are on wing year-round in warm areas.[2]

The larvae feed on Capparis species, Maerua cafra and Maerua racemulosa.

Subspecies

• B. z. zochalia (South Africa, Zimbabwe)
• B. z. agrippinides (Holland, 1896) (Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda)
• B. z. connexiva (Joicey & Talbot, 1927) (highlands of Cameroon)
• B. z. galla (Ungemach, 1932) (Ethiopia)
• B. z. camerounica Bernardi, 1966 (Nigeria to Cameroon)

References

1. Belenois at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.

• Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 12