Hebomoia glaucippe

[58chevy]

I wish they would fly across the ocean and land in my back yard.

[Trehopr1]

Orange-tips are always lovely regardless
of the species. I'll bet they are powerful
fliers and not so easy to catch.

Much like genus Phoebis....

[wollastoni]

Yes Hebomoia are very fast fliers, hard to net !

[daveuk]

A pair of Hebomoia glaucippe sulphurea from Bacan Island Indonesia & a male Hebomoia glaucippe anomala from the island of Pulau Tulai in Malaysia kindly given to me by a friend who netted it there back in 1988. It is quite a bit yellower in appearance than the nominate subspecies. I sadly don't have a female.

[Trehopr1]

Love that sulphurea subspecies.

I'll bet the yellow outer margin of the male varies in its width and intensity. At least that is what happens with Phoebis philea (males) and their orange marginal coloration.

[daveuk]

Newly acquired pair of Hebomoia glaucippe liukiuensis from Japan

[livingplanet3]

Very nice! Certainly, this must be among the most impressive of the larger pierids. Of note in this species, is that its wings contain glacontryphan-M, a potent peptide toxin, which is also a component of the venom of cone snails (Conus spp.). Cone snails use this peptide (delivered via a stab from a harpoon-like, specialized radular tooth) to paralyze their prey, but in the case of Hebomoia, it must somehow function as a deterrent against predators.

[daveuk]

Very nice! Certainly, this must be among the most impressive of the larger pierids. Of note in this species, is that its wings contain glacontryphan-M, a potent peptide toxin, which is also a component of the venom of cone snails (Conus spp.). Cone snails use this peptide (delivered via a stab from a harpoon-like, specialized radular tooth) to paralyze their prey, but in the case of Hebomoia, it must somehow function as a deterrent against predators.

Thanks for enlightening me. Fascinating. I had no idea that Hebomoia gained protection in this way.

[livingplanet3]

Very nice! Certainly, this must be among the most impressive of the larger pierids. Of note in this species, is that its wings contain glacontryphan-M, a potent peptide toxin, which is also a component of the venom of cone snails (Conus spp.). Cone snails use this peptide (delivered via a stab from a harpoon-like, specialized radular tooth) to paralyze their prey, but in the case of Hebomoia, it must somehow function as a deterrent against predators.

Thanks for enlightening me. Fascinating. I had no idea that Hebomoia gained protection in this way.

Here's a 2012 paper on the subject -

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1209632109

A bit technical, and I'm no chemist, but it makes me wonder if some other species of Pieridae might have similar defensive toxins.

[wollastoni]

A bit technical, and I'm no chemist, but it makes me wonder if some other species of Pieridae might have similar defensive toxins.

Delias are unpalatable too. That's why they are at the heart of several mimicry rings in SE Asia and New Guinea.