🔍 Mountain White | Leptophobia aripa 🦋
📍 Grecia, Alajuela, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
💬 Despite the “mountain” name and a home range above 2,000m, this butterfly happily wanders into city gardens and vacant lots — its caterpillars have a particular fondness for backyard cabbage patches.
Fauna
Mountain White | Leptophobia aripa
Basic ID
Conservation Status
Not evaluated by IUCN; widespread and locally common
Coloration
Cream-white wings with black-tipped forewings; distinctive green eyes
Lifespan
Multivoltine — several overlapping generations per year
Size
Length
Weight
Wingspan
4–5 cm
Habitat & Behavior
Native Range
Mexico through Central America to Argentina
Habitat Type
Sunny highland meadows, gardens, and urban edges, typically above 2,000m
Diet
Adults: nectar from Lantana, Bidens, Emilia; larvae: Brassicaceae (cabbage family)
Activity Pattern
Diurnal
Sources: IUCN Red List · Encyclopedia of Life · GBIF · Catalogue of Life