Giant White
Ganyra josephina (Godart, 1819)
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Pierinae
Identification: Large. Cell of upper forewing of male contains prominent round black spot. Wet-season female has black cell spot and also diffuse black postmedian spots. Veins outlined with black near wing margins. Dry-season female not so prominently marked.
Wing Span: 2 7/8 - 3 3/4 inches (7.3 - 9.6 cm).
Life History: Female lays single eggs on older host plant leaves, which the caterpillars then eat.
Flight: From September-December in south Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Trees in the caper (Capparidaceae) family.
Adult Food: Flower nectar including lantana, eupatorium, and bougainvilla.
Habitat: Open, dry, subtropical forests.
Range: South from south Texas through Mexico and Central America. A rare stray to Kansas and New Mexico.
Conservation: Not required for periodic stray.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None noted.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 58 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/a7409354-enhanced-nr.jpg?itok=o4m6pN-2)
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: Raul Delgado
Region: Texas, Webb County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1269-a-web.jpg?itok=qKeCA6Ku)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/021a9111.jpg?itok=NWg2E-ad)
Observation date: May 18, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9231_3.jpg?itok=-pJPvtly)
Observation date: Nov 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ganyra_josephina_2019feb24.jpg?itok=Ru7tS-65)
Observation date: Feb 24, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8525_7.jpg?itok=Qlb1gi-k)
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8542_1.jpg?itok=ikakCNym)
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1310992.jpg?itok=sbVtH7lJ)
Observation date: Nov 10, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/buaysiacobe_ganyra_josephina_2019jan15.jpg?itok=nmHWukUw)
Observation date: Jan 15, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 15, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8394-a-2500px-wide.jpg?itok=9BaTUj9Y)
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4592-a-web.jpg?itok=Fqxt6fvA)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4238-a.jpg?itok=LmQS3RTJ)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6952-a.jpg?itok=O6T3_XAF)
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
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Observation date: Aug 13, 2019
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7198-a-2500px-wide.jpg?itok=x_2-4DY6)
Observation date: Aug 02, 2019
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6157-a.jpg?itok=ooBExnnX)
Observation date: Jul 23, 2018
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4658-a.jpg?itok=XMUP9pQS)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2018
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3186-a.jpg?itok=tv342Wz0)
Observation date: Aug 08, 2017
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc03550_1.jpg?itok=tbp4od7W)
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: Raul Delgado
Region: Texas, Webb County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 17, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/49015568026_075a1fcfb1_o.jpg?itok=UlTEEzeG)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2019
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/giant_white_ganyra_josephina_pn_el_imposible_09sep2011_roselvy_juarez.jpg?itok=IT8nUXhT)
Observation date: Sep 09, 2011
Submitted by: Roselvy Juárez
Region: Ahuachapán, El Salvador
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscf2192.jpg?itok=ADjpqC8A)
Observation date: Oct 12, 2013
Submitted by: Glynjer
Region: Colón Province, Panama
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 29, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/giant_white_a_18-03-04.jpg?itok=i4hi7QWC)
Observation date: Mar 04, 2018
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
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