Euchloe olympia, the Olympia marble, is a butterfly in the familyPieridae. Its range is southern Canada and the Midwest, down into the southwestern United States. It has one flight, and males patrol on hilltops for females. E. olympia is closely related to other Nearctic Euchloe spp., including E. guaymasensis.
Host plants
Larvae feed on plants in the Brassicaceae family, including:
Eggs are laid singly on flower buds. Early instars eat flowers and fruits while later instars eat leaves.
Nectar source
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.
Habitat
Habitat usually consists of dry clearings, prairie, and foot chaparral.
Conservation status
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, gypsy moth chemical control and habitat destruction may be contributing to declines in this species. A study on the status of butterflies in the United States found that the Olympia marble has declined by 75% from 2000–2020 in the areas surveyed.
1234Scott, James A. (1986). The Butterflies of North America: A natural history and field guide. Stanford University Press. ISBN0-8047-2013-4.
↑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.
_(8936138184).jpg)
_on_Canthium_coromandelicum_W_IMG_9093.jpg){kind=small}