Pieris protodice

9.9

A white butterfly found in North America with thin dark lines on its wings

noun
/ˈpɪərɪs proʊˈtoʊdaɪs/

Specialized

: Pieris protodice

A Pieris protodice was resting on the leaf, its veined wings catching the sunlight.

Examples

Gardeners often mistake the Pieris protodice for its close relative, the cabbage white.
The Pieris protodice is often seen in gardens during the summer.
The Pieris protodice population increases rapidly during the warmer months.
Look at that Pieris protodice!
A Pieris protodice fluttered gracefully among the flowers, showcasing its distinctive white wings.
Many Pieris protodice can be spotted visiting gardens, particularly where cabbages are grown.
During a nature walk, I saw a Pieris protodice basking in the sun on a warm afternoon.

Synonyms

southern cabbage butterfly

vsPieris protodice

4.6

A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants

is the scientific name for the same North American white butterfly

Surface Forms

Pieris protodice singular

Pieris protodices plural

Morphology

Pieris + protodice

The first element 'Pieris' is glossed as a genus of small white butterflies, so a learner who recognises that name can infer that 'Pieris protodice' denotes a particular butterfly species. However, 'protodice' is not a regular English lexical item and understanding that a two-word Latin binomial names a species depends on knowledge of scientific naming conventions, so the specific sense is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Pieris protodice may come from old Greek names for white butterflies: Pieris is the group name for many white butterflies and protodice begins with 'proto', meaning 'first', so people thought of it as a common or early white butterfly. That image of a pale butterfly with dark veins on its wings helps the name fit this veined white species.