Pieris balcana Lorkovic, [1969]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on various Brassicaceae, most often in semi-shady or shady position. I recorded oviposition in northern Greece on Calepina irregularis.

Habitat:
Pieris balcana occurs especially in edge habitats like woodland and grove margins, at the edges of Rubus stands, in abandoned quarries, in river valleys, in cultural land that is interspersed with bushes and in similar places. Contrary to P. napi it is also found in hot and dry environments provided that there are disturbed places like quarries or shrub.

Life cycle:
The adults occur in several generations between March and October. In dry regions they may be rarer in summer (drought) than in spring. In early April 2022 the adults often have spent the night within nearby Rubus thickets (GR-Kozani). Oviposition usually occurs on lower sides of leaves. The larvae develop very fast like in P. napi.

Remarks:
Pieris balcana occurs in the Balkan peninsula (from Croatia and S-Romania to especially Greece). In Greece, P. napi seems to be rare or is restricted to the very North and Northeast (has to be investigated). Pieris balcana, however, is regionally quite common. In April 2023 all checked specimens prooved balcana. It shows - in contrast to P. napi - an in average not sharply confined dark squamation of the veins (hind wing undersides). This is especially visible in the spring generation, but not in all cases very distinctly.
The distribution to the east ist poorly known. It at least occurs in S-Ukraine and S-Russia.