Anthocharis sara

Lucas, 1852

Sara orangetip, Pacific orangetip

Anthocharis sara is a to western North America, ranging from Baja California north to extreme southwestern Oregon and east to the Sierra Nevada and western Nevada. It is one of three distinct in the Sara orangetip complex, separated from A. julia and A. thoosa by >2% mitochondrial COI barcode divergence and morphological characters of stages. The species exhibits strong seasonality with two annually and has been documented utilizing diverse mustard plants.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anthocharis sara: /ˌænθoʊˈkɛərɪs ˈsɛərə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from co-occurring Anthocharis by geographic range and, when stages are available, by larval and pupal cone curvature. reliably separates A. sara from A. julia and A. thoosa (>2% COI divergence). Males distinguished from females by UV-reflective tips visible with appropriate equipment. Four recognized: A. s. sara (widespread west of Sierra Nevada), A. s. pseudothoosa (east slope Sierra Nevada), A. s. gunderi (Santa Catalina and Santa Cruz islands), A. s. sempervirens (Redwood National Park).

Habitat

Orchards, fields, meadows, and canyons. Males along stream sides and roads in canyon bottoms during mating season.

Distribution

Pacific coast of North America from central Baja California north to extreme southwestern Oregon; interior on east slope of Sierra Nevada extending into far western Nevada. Disjunct population on Santa Catalina and Santa Cruz islands ( gunderi).

Seasonality

Two annually with strong seasonal restriction: first brood late January to April, second brood May to early July. Occasional overlap between . not present for approximately half the year.

Host Associations

Arabis perennans - mustard
Athysanus pusillus - mustard
Brassica nigra - and non-native ; also listed among non-native in California
Barbarea verna - non- in California
Barbarea vulgaris - non- in California
Brassica napus - non- in California
Brassica rapa - non- in California
Capsella bursa-pastoris - non- in California
Hirschfeldia incana - non- in California
Tropaeolum spp. - non- in California
Raphanus sativus - non- in California
Sinapis alba - non- in California
Sinapis arvensis - non- in California
Sisymbrium officinale - non- in California

Life Cycle

laid on stems, , and bases of ; less commonly on , flowers, and leaves. feed on buds, flowers, and fruits of plants. enter ; in captivity, diapause has been observed to extend up to three years.

Behavior

Males linear paths along streams and roads in canyon bottoms to locate females, with males occupying the best sites. Males and females communicate via drumming.

Ecological Role

Larval on mustard plants; .

Human Relevance

Subject of photographic documentation and citizen science observation. sempervirens described from Redwood National Park. 'Pacific orangetip' now considered obsolete as it implied distribution encompassing multiple .

Similar Taxa

Anthocharis juliaJulia orangetip; distinct in sara complex, separated by >2% COI barcode divergence and morphological characters of stages; ranges do not overlap with A. sara
Anthocharis thoosaSouthwestern orangetip; distinct in sara complex, separated by >2% COI barcode divergence and morphological characters; shows largest intraspecific barcode divergence with identifiable metapopulation haplotypes
Anthocharis mideaFalcate orangetip; eastern North , replaced westward by A. sara; not reliably separated from A. limonea by barcodes alone

Misconceptions

The 'Pacific orangetip' is obsolete and misleading, as it was previously applied to what is now recognized as three separate (A. sara, A. julia, A. thoosa).

More Details

Taxonomic history

Part of the Anthocharis sara ; elevated to distinct status based on molecular and morphological evidence. Four currently recognized, with sempervirens described most recently (2008).

Molecular identification

of COI reliably distinguishes A. sara from A. julia and A. thoosa; no evidence of or hybridization detected between these three . Morphological identification of stages always agrees with barcode identification.