Leptidea reali

Leptidea reali, the Réal's wood white, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae.

Réal's wood white
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pieridae
Genus:	Leptidea
Species:	L. reali
Binomial name
Leptidea reali Reissinger 1989[1]

Taxonomy

A 2011 study using karyotype analysis and analysis of mitochondrial nuclear DNA markers concluded that Leptidea reali is one of three members of a cryptic species complex which also includes Leptidea sinapis and a new species Leptidea juvernica.^[2]

Distribution

Leptidea reali is known to occur in Spain, Italy and southern France.^[2] L. reali was formerly thought to occur in Ireland^[3] but this population is now known to be L. juvernica.^[4] Since the three species look and behave similarly, further research is needed to discover their true distribution; indeed on the continent the current known distribution of L. reali is suspiciously patchy.^{[citation needed]} L. reali can be separated from L. sinapis by analysis of the male genital morphology, but it cannot be reliably separated this way from L. juvernica.^[2]

Field lepidopterists have reported behavioural differences between L. reali and L. sinapis with Réal's being described as a stronger flier and with a preference for more open habitats.^{[5][obsolete source]}

Life cycle and food plants

The life cycle, flight period and food plants appear at present to be similar to the wood white.