Anthocharis sara

Lucas, 1852

Sara orangetip, Pacific orangetip

Species Guides

Anthocharis sara gunderi(Santa Catalina Orangetip)
Anthocharis sara pseudothoosa(False Thoosa Orangetip)
Anthocharis sara sara(Sara Orangetip)
Anthocharis sara sempervirens(Sara Orange-Tip)

Anthocharis sara is a pierid native 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.

Anthocharis sara by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Anthocharis sara by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

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 wing 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).

Images

Habitat

Orchards, fields, meadows, and canyons. Males patrol 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 - plantnative mustard
Athysanus pusillus - plantnative mustard
Brassica nigra - plantnative and non-native ; also listed among non-native in California
Barbarea verna - plantnon-native in California
Barbarea vulgaris - plantnon-native in California
Brassica napus - plantnon-native in California
Brassica rapa - plantnon-native in California
Capsella bursa-pastoris - plantnon-native in California
Hirschfeldia incana - plantnon-native in California
Tropaeolum spp. - plantnon-native in California
Raphanus sativus - plantnon-native in California
Sinapis alba - plantnon-native in California
Sinapis arvensis - plantnon-native in California
Sisymbrium officinale - plantnon-native in California

Life Cycle

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

Behavior

Males patrol 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 herbivore 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 American , 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.