Small White: Pieris rapae Size: Wingspan approximately 4-5.2cm Distribution: Throughout Europe Months seen: March to October. Food: Nectar. The caterpillars feed on rape, charlock, brassicas and garlic mustard. Habitat: Meadows, hedgerows, gardens and wasteland. Catterpillar: Light green with a fine yellow line along back
Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris Rapae) front and side view, wings closed, on purple flower of Canada Thistle plant (Cirsium arvense), New York, USA. Despite its name, the Canada thistle is a plant of European origin.
Cabbage; Cabbage White; Cabbage White Butterfly; Canada; Canada thistle; Cirsium; Cirsium arvensem; Lepidoptera; Pierinae; Pieris; Pieris Rapae; Rapae; US; USA; United States; White butterfly; alive; animal; animalia; antennae; arthropoda; arvensem; bug; butterfly; closed; closed wings; family Pierinae; family Whites and Sulphurs; flower; flowers; flying insect; fuzzy; green; in nature; in profile; insect; insecta; natural world; nature; nectar; on flower; outdoor; outdoors; outside; perched; perching; profile; purple; purple thistle; side view; side wing; summer; summertime; thistle; view; view from side; weed; white; wing; winged; winged insect; wings; wings closed; eye level; nobody
Description
Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris Rapae) side view, wings closed, on purple flower of Canada Thistle plant (Cirsium arvense), New York, USA. Despite its name, the Canada thistle, a weed, actually is native to Europe.
Small white; Pieris rapae; Pieridae; . aka Small Cabbage White; aka white butterfly; Mountfield; East Sussex; indooors; open winged; dorsal view;
Description
The Small White (Pieris rapae) is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the Yellows-and-Whites family Pieridae. It is also commonly known as the Small Cabbage White and in New Zealand simply as white butterfly. The names "Cabbage Butterfly" and "Cabbage White" can also refer to the Large White. Wingspan is roughly 32–47 mm (1.25–2 in). Its caterpillars can be a pest on cultivated cabbages, kale, radish, broccoli, and horseradish but it will readily lay eggs on wild members of the cabbage family such as Charlock Sinapis arvensis and Hedge mustard Sisybrium officinale.