Anthocharis thoosa, Scudder, 1878

Stout, Todd L., 2018, A review of three species-level taxa of the Anthocharis sara complex (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Pierinae: Anthocharidini), Insecta Mundi 615, pp. 1-38 : 4

Anthocharis thoosa . Anthocharis thoosa is mainly a denizen of pinyon juniper habitat of the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah ( A. thoosa thoosa ) as well as lower Sonoran Desert scrub of SE Arizona ( A. thoosa inghami ) transitioning to Oak Woodland habitat of central Arizona east to montane NW New Mexico ( A. thoosa coriande Scott and Fisher, 2008 ) north through western Colorado ( A. thoosa colorado Fisher and Scott 2008 ). Anthocharis thoosa thoosa also has been taken at higher elevations of mountainous regions of the Mojave Desert of Clark County, Nevada, and in the Kingston, Providence, New York, Clark, and Old Woman Mountains as well as at Mountain Pass, San Bernardino County, California ( Emmel and Emmel 1973; Wikle pers. comm. 2008; Davenport pers. comm. 2009).

On occasion, A. thoosa can also be found in desert scrub habitat of the Mojave Desert where it poorly competes with P. beckerii , P. protodice , E. hyantis lotta Beutenmuller, 1898 , and A. cethura mojaveensis Emmel et al., 1998 , on annual mustards such as D. pinnata , G. lasiophylla , and S. longirostris . For example, an ovum of A. thoosa thoosa was found in Washington County, Utah, in typical A. cethura mojaveensis habitat of Navajo sandstone rock formations with Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) (A. Gray) , Larrea tridentata (Dc.) Coville , and Yucca baccata Torr. where host plants were taking refuge under the creosote bush, in rocky outcroppings, or in desert washes. Also, an ovum of A. thoosa was found in lower elevation desert scrub habitat west of Christmas Tree Pass in the Newberry Range of Clark County, Nevada, where one would find A. cethura mojaveensis and E. hyantis lotta on wing in early March following sufficient and timely winter precipitation.