Green-veined White

Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status

Description

A medium white butterfly, with black tips to the forewing upperside, and with pale yellow hindwing underside with the veins highlighted as green. The male and female are similar, the male has no black spots on the forewing upperside in the first brood, and one in subsequent broods. The female has two black spots. The underside of the hindwing enables easy separation from other species. On the upperside the black apical patch on the forewing is more along the margin than the costa, and is often broken. 

Habitat Requirements

In damp, good quality habitats, including: meadows, river valleys, marsh/fens and open woodlands.

Larval Foodplants

Tower Rockcress/Mustard Arabis glabra, Mustard Brassica cretica, Black Mustard Brassica nigra, Turnip or Field Mustard Brassica rapa (cultivated & naturalised), Bittercress Cardamine graeca, White Mustard Sinapis alba (yellow flowers).

Observations

An easily overlooked butterfly, most commonly encountered in the spring. Early butterfly collectors demonstrated this butterfly can show considerable variation in wing pattern and gound colour.

*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Green-veined White submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2023 09/03/2023 30/10/2023 235 days
2022 03/03/2022 28/07/2022 147 days
2021 19/02/2021 22/06/2021 123 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 22
2022 5
2021 13
Grand Total 40

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Green-veined White (2023)

The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023

Flight Times for the Green-veined White (All Data)

The chart below shows flight data by month since 1st January 2021

Taxonomy

  • Vernacular/Common Name: Green-veined White
  • Family: Pieridae (Swainson, 1820)
  • Sub-family: Pierinae (Swainson, 1820)
  • Tribe: Pierini (Duponchel, [1835])
  • Genus: Pieris (Schrank, 1801)
  • Species: napi (Linnaeus, 1758)

References

For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.