Zu der Frage, ob die Taxa eversi und palmae eigene Arten oder Unterarten von G.cleobule seien, verweise ich auf die molekulargenetischen Untersuchungen von BRUNTON, CFA & GDD HURST (1998. l.c.): 'Part of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene was sequenced for seven species of Gonepteryx (Pieridae) butterflies. Four of the species are island endemics inhabiting the Canary Island archipelago and Madeira. The remaining three are European and African conspecifics. Sequence data were analysed phylogenetically by maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. The resulting trees were used to deduce Canarian species» ancestry, sequential inter-island colonization and systematics. They suggest African ancestry for the Canary Island taxa and a colonization pattern, within the archipelago, compatible with the geological ages of the islands and other Canarian fauna: a colonization sequence from Africa to Tenerife and Gomera, followed by Tenerife to La Palma. The molecular phylogeny indicated that there are three Canarian endemics, G. cleobule, G. palmae and G. eversi from Tenerife, La Palma and Gomera, respectively.'
Das männliche Genitale von G.cleobule, eversi und palmae (von links nach rechts). Fotos STAMM. Wie bei allen Gonepteryx-spp. üblich, zeigen die Genitalapparturen keine deutlichen Unterschiede.