The first record of the genus Belenois (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) from China

Abstract

Abstract Background The family Pieridae is a large group of butterflies which plays an important role in evolutionary biology and contains many potential pests (Courtney 1986). Pieridae is a cosmopolitan family while the tropics harbour higher species richness. In a very recent expedition to the Chinese-Indian border area in Tibet Autonomous Region, a migratory species, Belenois aurota (Fabricius, 1793), was discovered for the first time, which comprises the first record of the genus Belenois in China and the highest altitude record of this species. New information The species B. aurota (Fabricius, 1793) is the first record of the genus Belenois from China. The specimen was collected at an altitude of about 3,000 m in Tibet Autonomous Region. Relevant details are presented for the species.