This volume is the fourth about the Pieridae family, and deals, in part, with the subfamily Pierinae, covering the tribe Anthocharidini, one of the nicest looking butterfly groups encompassing a variety of spring species showing a delicate mix of yellow, white, green and d orange colours. Anthocharidini are widespread in the Palearctic and Nearctic regions, are individually and geographically very variable and have diversified in many species whose systematic position is often puzzling. Not surprising, therefore, is the interest that they have always aroused among lepidopterists. Worthy of mention from the first half of the last century are Williams, Klots, Bernardi and Verity.
After them, from the seventies to today, Werner Back, the author of this book, has carried on intensive research, eagerly putting together a huge amount of data about the morphology, the early stages, the habitat, the distribution, the geographical variations and later also the genetics of Anthocharidini and assembling one of the largest specimen collections in the world.
About the 'Guide to the Butterflies of the Palearctic Region' series
This is a series about the butterflies of the whole Palearctic, from North Africa and Europe to China and Japan. Each volume of the series will cover 80-100 species with full colour illustrations, genitalia drawings, distribution, taxonomy, variations and diagnostic characters. Many well-known lepidopterists worldwide are contributing to this project, with the final result being a series of booklets with each one covering a subfamily, a tribe or a group of genera with a total of 50 to 100 species. It is anticipated that, when completed, this series will comprise over 30 volumes of work covering the Satyridae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperidae, and other families.
