Checkered White

Checkered White

Pontia protodice

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Ciudad Juárez

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

16 Verified sightings at Ciudad Juárez
558 In all 11 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Checkered White

Pontia protodice, the checkered white or southern cabbage butterfly, is a common North American butterfly in the family Pieridae. Its green larva is a type of cabbage worm. The upperside of the wings are white and marked with black and gray, more so on the female than on the male. The underside of the hindwings is marked with extensive yellow-brown veins. The wingspan is 1.25–1.75 inches (3.2–4.4 cm). In its pre-adult form, the egg is orange, and mature larvae are black dotted and bluish green to gray with a yellow dorsal, lateral and sublateral stripe. The pupa overwinters, and varies in color from blue-gray to cream.

Pontia protodice is most commonly found in the southern parts on the United States along with some of the northern areas of Mexico. Occasionally the species can be found in the northern parts of the U.S. and southern Canada. It is absent from the Pacific Northwest and the New England area, although populations have become increasingly erratic just east of the Appalachians.P. protodice are most widespread in late summer and autumn, not earlier in the season.

Habitats are open areas, including desert, plains, and disturbed... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
5 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
10 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ciudad Juárez 🇲🇽 México
~20%
2 Torreón 🇲🇽 México
~20%
3 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 San Luis Potosí 🇲🇽 México
~10%
5 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
~10%
7 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
~10%
8 Tijuana 🇲🇽 México
~10%
9 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~10%
10 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Checkered White in Ciudad Juárez?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Checkered White sighting in Ciudad Juárez on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 9th most-seen of the 49 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Checkered White in Ciudad Juárez?

July

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Checkered White in Ciudad Juárez on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and October–November, the lowest months. That is one of Ciudad Juárez's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 5 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see a Checkered White?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Checkered White sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ciudad Juárez the best place to see a Checkered White?

Yes

Of the 21 cities where we can rate Checkered White sightings, Ciudad Juárez has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Torreón (México, about 20%) and San Antonio (United States, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Checkered White live in Ciudad Juárez?

Same family: Pieridae

The closest relatives of the Checkered White that you can see in Ciudad Juárez (family Pieridae, Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs) are Sleepy Orange (about 20%), Small White (about 20%) and Dainty Sulphur (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Checkered White sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Checkered White is recorded against all the insects logged in Ciudad Juárez (16 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Ciudad Juárez