Olympia Marble
Euchloe olympia (W.H. Edwards, 1871)
Olympia Marble: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/497
Synonyms
Hodges #4202 
Tags
In need of conservation S2 (State rare) Vulnerable Western MD only

Seasonality Snapshot

Status

The Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia) is a rare denizen of open habitats where its preferred host plants can be found, like shale barrens or lakeshores. In our area, it is restricted to shale barrens of western Maryland. This interesting and strikingly-marked butterfly is on the wing early in spring, from March into the middle of May in Maryland (Butterflies of Maryland: A Biological Summary and Checklist by Lynn Davidson & Richard Smith; Kaufman Guide to Butterflies of North America). Its restricted range and uncommon habitat make it vulnerable to extirpation, and it is ranked as S2 (state rare).

Relationships

Olympia Marble primarily utilizes rockcresses as larval food plants.

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Map Snapshot

83 Records

Resources

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Source: Wikipedia

Euchloe olympia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Euchloe
Species:
E. olympia
Binomial name
Euchloe olympia
(W.H. Edwards, 1871)
Subspecies

Euchloe olympia, the Olympia marble, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. Its range is southern Canada and the Midwest, down into the southwestern United States.[1] E. olympia is related to E. guaymasensis, but has a distinctive phenotype and genotype.[2]

Nectar source

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Euchloe olympia has been observed to use Lepidium virginicum as its main nectar source as a larval and as an adult the main nectar source was found to be Nuttallanthus canadensis. Based on a study done in a central Illinois sand prairie, Echloe olympia was observed to show consistency on the flowers it visits to obtain its nectar from.[3]

Conservation status

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The Olympia marble has been classified globally as G5/G4, meaning that globally it is a relatively stable species. The United States has not placed it under any watch as a country. However, it is in danger due to gypsy moth chemical control.

References

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  1. ^ "BMNA Species Detail Olympia Marble". Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  2. ^ Back, W., Miller, M. A., & Opler, P. A. (2011). Genetic, phenetic, and distributional relationships of nearctic Euchloe (Pieridae, Pierinae, Anthocharidini). The Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 65(1), 1-14.
  3. ^ Toliver, Michael E. (2020-06-04). "Observations on Euchloe olympia (W. H. Edwards) (Pieridae) in a Central Illinois Sand Prairie". The Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 74 (2): 106. doi:10.18473/lepi.74i2.a5. ISSN 0024-0966.


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