A medium to large sized white butterfly, with black tips to the forewing upperside, and with yellow hindwing underside. The female is noticeably larger than the male with two black spots on the forewing upperside, whereas the male is missing those two spots. The male, especially can be confused with other members of the genius. The solid black apical patch on the forewing upperside is equal along the costa and margin is distinctive.
Whilst, highly migratory and therefore encountered all over the island, it can sometimes be seen in extraordinary numbers, when it hill-tops in the mountainous regions of the island.
Mustard Brassica cretica, Black Mustard Brassica nigra, Turnip or Field Mustard Brassica rapa (cultivated & naturalised), Wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum, White Mustard Sinapis alba (yellow flowers), Hedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale, Caper Capparis spinosa, Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus - introduced.
In Corfu, Anne Sordinas has recorded oviposition on T. majus.
In Europe probably the best know species of butterfly - being broadly known as the Cabbage White. Its high abundances generated by the cultivation of brassicas as a staple food for humans makes the Large White widely considered a pest. Consequently, the parasites of this species are very well studied.
*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Large White submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.
Year | First | Last/latest | # Days |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | 03/01/2023 | 21/11/2023 | 322 days |
2022 | 06/01/2022 | 30/12/2022 | 358 days |
2021 | 03/02/2021 | 24/11/2021 | 294 days |
Year | Number of observations |
---|---|
2023 | 973 |
2022 | 1124 |
2021 | 452 |
Grand Total | 2549 |
The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023
The chart below shows flight data by month since 1st January 2021
For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.