1st brood male. Taken at Bagley Wood, Oxon., on April 19th 2020. (© David Hastings)
(1/1600th sec at f14)

2nd brood male. Taken at Whelford Pools, Gloucs., on August 8th 2022. (© David Hastings)
(1/800th sec at f11)

Male underside. Taken at Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon., on July 31st 2018. (© David Hastings)
(1/1000th sec at f14)

1st brood female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on May 25th 2013. (© David Hastings)
(1/200th sec at f14)

2nd brood female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on September 14th 2014. (© David Hastings)
(1/1000th sec at f14)

Female underside. Taken at Abingdon, Oxon., on April 8th 2020. (© David Hastings)
(1/800th sec at f13)

Mating pair. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on May 10th 2015. (© David Hastings)
(1/1000th sec at f13)

Description

Family: Pieridae

Wing span: 40 - 52 mm

This is a common butterfly of damp grassland and woodland rides that is often mistaken for the Small White. The dark veining on the wings is distinctive but can be quite variable. First-brood males usually have no spots on their upper forewings, whereas second-brood males can have one or two spots. Females have two spots in both broods.

This species can be found throughout Britain and Ireland.

It prefers damper habitats such as stream and ditch edges, marshes and woodland rides. It can also be seen in gardens.

There are usually two flight periods. First-brood adults typically emerge in mid-April, peaking around the middle of May and gradually tailing off through June. The second brood starts to emerge in early July. However, in good years, the second brood may emerge in late June and give rise to a third brood. This species over-winters as a pupa.

The primary larval foodplants are Charlock, Cuckooflower, Garlic Mustard, Hedge Mustard, Large Bitter-cress, Water-cress, Wild Cabbage and Wild Radish.

Adults feed primarily on Betony, Bluebell, Bugle, Buttercups, Cuckooflower, Fleabane, Greater Stitchwort, Ragged Robin, Ragwort, Red Campion, Thistles and Vetches.

This species exhibits great variation in the colour and shade of the ground colour as well as the extent of the spotting. As is usual in the 'whites', many aberrations are unique to either males or females, and being seasonally dimorphic some aberrations are also specific to the generation or 'brood'. There are 79 named aberrations known to occur in Britain.

Least Concern

Earliest UK sighting: 15th March ; Latest UK sighting: 3rd October

Sightings