Catopsilia pomona 2 by kadavoor

The Common Emigrant or Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona) is a medium sized pierid butterfly found in Asia and parts of Australia. The species gets its name from its habit of migration.

This is a very variable species with many named forms. There are two male forms, f. alcmeone and f. hilaria, and five female forms, f. pomona, f. crocale, f, jugurtha, f. catilla and f. nivescens. Of theses, f. alcmeone is the commonest male form, and f. crocale is the commonest female form for most of the year. However, during the months of May- July, f. jugurtha appears to be more common. The remaining forms are present for most of the year, but in lesser quantities.

The 'crocale' forms - antennae black above and underside of wings without silvery spots at the cell-ends.

Upperside creamy white wings with base of wings lemon-yellow. Forewing apex margined thinly with black - male, form alcmeone (Cramer 1777).

Upperside creamy white wings with costal margin of forewing and both termens bordered with black. There is also black submarginal markings, a black cell end spot on the forewing and wing bases are tinged with yellow - female, form jugurtha (Cramer 1777).

Both wings have broad black distal borders bearing a series of large, diffuse, interneural whitish spots - female, form crocale (Cramer 1775).

The 'pomona' forms - antennae red above and underside of wings with silvery spots outlined in red at cell-ends.

Resembles male form alcmeone. However, the lemon-yellow base is more restricted especially absent in the hindwing tornal area - male, form hilaria (Stoll 1781).

Pale yellow wings with black bordering and reduced markings - female, form pomona (Fabricius 1775).

Similar to form pomona but with white wings - female, form nivescens (Fruhstorfer 1910).

Red blotches on the underside - female, form catilla (Cramer 1779).