Pierinae

Pierinae: Appias group

Yata (1985), Vane­Wright and de Jong (2003) and Yata et al. (unpublished data) have revised the higher systematics of Appias Hübner from the Oriental Region. Yata (1985) provisionally recognised seven groups within Appias, five of which were awarded subgeneric status and two without formal names (the sylvia and lyncida groups). The subgenus Glutophrissa Butler was restricted to include two Neotropical species (drusilla group), but Ackery et al. (1995) expanded the concept of Appias (Glutophrissa) to include five Afrotropical species, formerly treated by Yata (1985) in the sylvia group. The status of Glutophrissa, however, is currently uncertain. Lamas (2005) provisionally treated it as distinct genus restricted to the drusilla group, and O. Yata (pers. comm. 2004) has suggested that phylogenetically it may be outside Appias and Saletara Distant, both of which appear to comprise a monophyletic group. Vane­Wright and de Jong (2003) placed Yata’s lyncida group (five species) within the nominate subspecies Appias (Appias), which previously included only two Oriental species. In the Oriental Region, four subgenera are thus currently recognised (Appias, Phrissura Butler, Hiposcritia Geyer, Catophaga Hübner), two of which are endemic to the region.

Klots (1933) treated Udaiana Distant as a distinct monotypic genus closely allied to Appias, and regarded Phrissura, also monotypic, as a subgenus of Appias. Corbet (1946) synonymised Udaiana cynis (Hewitson) with Phrissura aegis (C. & R. Felder), but Yata (1985) considered the two taxa to be specifically distinct and to belong to separate genera, Udaiana and Appias (Phrissura), respectively, based on study of the male and female genitalia and wing venation.