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- Lepidoptera
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- Small white
Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
- Resident, rough grassland, common
- Adults: June-August
- Larval foodplants: grasses, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus
- Range: England and Wales north to Scottish border
- Status since 1970's : slight increase
Large skipper Ochlodes sylvanus
- Resident, tall grassland
- Adults: May-August
- Larval foodplants: grasses especially cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
- Range: Southern Britain, extending northwards
- Status since 1970's : 12% decrease
Common blue Polyommatus icarus
- Resident
- Adults: 2 broods, May and October
- Larval foodplants: birds-foot treioil Lotus corniculatus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 17% decrease
Holly blue Celastrina argiolus
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: 2 broods, late March/April August/September
- Larval foodplants: 1st brood holly Ilex aquifolium 2nd brood ivy Hedera helix
- Range: Southern Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 37% increase
Small copper Lycaena phlaeas
- Resident, rare now in gardens
- Adults: up to 4 broods April to November
- Larval foodplants: sorrels Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 37% decline
Brown argus Aricia agestis
- Resident, rare in gardens
- Adults: 2-3 broods May to Sept.
- Larval foodplants: common rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium
- Range: southern-eastern Britain, coastal Wales
- Status since 2005 : 2% increase, range increasing
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering individuals in April, offspring in August
- Larval foodplants: buckthorns Frangulus aldus & Rhamnus catharcticus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 14% increase, range increasing
Large (cabbage) white Pieris brassicae
- Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/May, July/August
- Larval foodplants: brassicas, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
- Range:All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 30% decrease but still abundant
Small (cabbage) white Pieris rapae
- Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
- Larval foodplants: crucifers, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 25% decrease but still common
Green-veined white Pieris napi
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
- Larval foodplants: charlock Sinapis arvensis, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 72% increase
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
- Resident, quite common in gardens
- Adults: 1 broods, April/June
- Larval foodplants: cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
- Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
- Status since 2005: 59% increase
- Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta Common
- Adults: Migrants from May, offspring July to October
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 257% increase
Painted lady Vanessa cardui
- Summer migrant, often common
- Adults: Migrants from April, offspring July to October
- Larval foodplants: thistles. common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 113% increase
Peacock, Inachis io
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
- Status since 2005: 17% increase
Small tortoiseshell Aglais urticae
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from July to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 73% decrease
Comma Polygonia c-album
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
- Second brood eggs laid June to August, adults September to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All England and Wales, now southern Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 150% increase, range extending north
Speckled wood Pararge aegeria
- Resident, woodland habitat
- Adults: 2 broods April/May, June to October
- Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
- Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent southern and central Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 84% increase
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- Resident, woodland edge habitat
- Adults: 1 brood June to August
- Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
- Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 381% increase, range extending
Wall Lasiommata megera
- Resident, now mainly in coastal areas
- Adults: 2 broods April/June August/September
- Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp and others
- Range: England and Wales, coastal Ireland
- Status since 1970s: 87% decrease, range reducing.
- BAP species
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- Resident, hedgerows, common in gardens
- Adults: 1 brood June to September
- Larval foodplants: grass, bents Agrostis spp, fescues Festuca spp
- Range: Southern & central England and Wales, south coastal Ireland
- Status since 1970s: 41% decrease
Meadow brown Maniola jurtina
- Resident, grassy habitats, common in gardens
- Adults: 1 brood June to September
- Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970s: stable
Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
- Resident, rough grassland, common
- Adults: June-August
- Larval foodplants: grasses, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus
- Range: England and Wales north to Scottish border
- Status since 1970's : slight increase
Large skipper Ochlodes sylvanus
- Resident, tall grassland
- Adults: May-August
- Larval foodplants: grasses especially cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
- Range: Southern Britain, extending northwards
- Status since 1970's : 12% decrease
Common blue Polyommatus icarus
- Resident
- Adults: 2 broods, May and October
- Larval foodplants: birds-foot treioil Lotus corniculatus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 17% decrease
Holly blue Celastrina argiolus
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: 2 broods, late March/April August/September
- Larval foodplants: 1st brood holly Ilex aquifolium 2nd brood ivy Hedera helix
- Range: Southern Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 37% increase
Small copper Lycaena phlaeas
- Resident, rare now in gardens
- Adults: up to 4 broods April to November
- Larval foodplants: sorrels Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 37% decline
Brown argus Aricia agestis
- Resident, rare in gardens
- Adults: 2-3 broods May to Sept.
- Larval foodplants: common rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium
- Range: southern-eastern Britain, coastal Wales
- Status since 2005 : 2% increase, range increasing
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering individuals in April, offspring in August
- Larval foodplants: buckthorns Frangulus aldus & Rhamnus catharcticus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 14% increase, range increasing
Large (cabbage) white Pieris brassicae
- Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/May, July/August
- Larval foodplants: brassicas, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
- Range:All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 30% decrease but still abundant
Small (cabbage) white Pieris rapae
- Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
- Larval foodplants: crucifers, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970's : 25% decrease but still common
Green-veined white Pieris napi
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
- Larval foodplants: charlock Sinapis arvensis, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 72% increase
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
- Resident, quite common in gardens
- Adults: 1 broods, April/June
- Larval foodplants: cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
- Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
- Status since 2005: 59% increase
- Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta Common
- Adults: Migrants from May, offspring July to October
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 257% increase
Painted lady Vanessa cardui
- Summer migrant, often common
- Adults: Migrants from April, offspring July to October
- Larval foodplants: thistles. common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 113% increase
Peacock, Inachis io
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
- Status since 2005: 17% increase
Small tortoiseshell Aglais urticae
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from July to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 2005: 73% decrease
Comma Polygonia c-album
- Resident, common in gardens
- Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
- Second brood eggs laid June to August, adults September to December
- Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
- Range: All England and Wales, now southern Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 150% increase, range extending north
Speckled wood Pararge aegeria
- Resident, woodland habitat
- Adults: 2 broods April/May, June to October
- Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
- Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent southern and central Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 84% increase
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
- Resident, woodland edge habitat
- Adults: 1 brood June to August
- Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
- Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland
- Status since 1970s: 381% increase, range extending
Wall Lasiommata megera
- Resident, now mainly in coastal areas
- Adults: 2 broods April/June August/September
- Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp and others
- Range: England and Wales, coastal Ireland
- Status since 1970s: 87% decrease, range reducing.
- BAP species
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
- Resident, hedgerows, common in gardens
- Adults: 1 brood June to September
- Larval foodplants: grass, bents Agrostis spp, fescues Festuca spp
- Range: Southern & central England and Wales, south coastal Ireland
- Status since 1970s: 41% decrease
Meadow brown Maniola jurtina
- Resident, grassy habitats, common in gardens
- Adults: 1 brood June to September
- Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
- Range: All Britain and Ireland
- Status since 1970s: stable
Biology
Butterflies are day-flying insects that are active from spring to autumn. They visit flowers in order to feed on nectar. Many garden flowers are attractive to them, particularly those growing in warm sheltered places. The larval stages feed mainly on the foliage of various plants. The large and small cabbage whites eat the foliage of cultivated plants, such as cabbage, other brassicas and nasturtiums. Other British butterflies have caterpillars that feed on forest trees or wild flowers, including nettles and grasses.
Species that come to Britain as migrants include red admiral Vanessa atalanta, painted lady Vanessa cardui and less commonly in gardens, the clouded yellow, Colias croceus. The numbers that cross the Channel or North Sea can vary considerably from year to year. Those that arrive early enough are able to breed in Britain but they do not usually survive the winter. Climate change may change this, as in the case of the red admiral,
Life cycle
After mating, female butterflies deposit eggs on plants suitable for their larvae. Some butterflies lay eggs singly over many plants, while others lays eggs in clusters on a few plants. The caterpillars feed on the foliage or flower buds of their food plants. When fully fed, the caterpillars often wander away from their food plants before selecting somewhere to pupate. Most butterfly caterpillars pupate above ground level. They do not enclose themselves in a silk cocoon but silk threads are used to attach the pupa or chrysalis to a plant stem or fence.
Most butterflies overwinter as pupae but some species overwinter as eggs or larvae. The comma, brimstone, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies overwinter in sheltered places as adults. The last two mentioned sometimes hibernate in garden sheds and garages. Most species have one generation a year but some have two or sometimes three.
What do they look like?
Small whites can be difficult to distinguish from the large white. Both species are largely white with some black markings and are found in similar habitats using the same plants. Size can help – the small white is considerably smaller (with 38-57mm average wing span compared with 58-63 mm for the large white) but this can be difficult to judge unless seen together and size also varies with individual butterflies. The small white has less black on the wing tips and the colouring is less intense. Male small whites generally have one spot on each forewing and females have two. Again, these colours are fainter and less dark in the small white – more brown-grey than black. The underwings are cream-coloured with faint black dots.
Where are they found?
All Britain and Ireland
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Small whites can be seen in all kinds of habitats and are a very widespread species.
Resident or migrant?
Resident but augmented by summer migrants.
When to see them?
As with their large white cousins there are normally two broods each year with a third one in favourable summers. The first butterflies emerge in April, peaking in May with the second brood emerging in July and lasting until the autumn.
Small white Pieris rapae
Family: Pieridae
Male
Female
Underside
Mating pair
What do the early stages look like?
Eggs are laid singly on the underside of leaves, turning grey and hatching after about a week. The caterpillars are green throughout their instars and have a less striking appearance than the large whites. The final (5th) instar measures about 25mm and although it has black points from which white hairs grow, these are tiny, so that the overall appearance is of a green caterpillar with a faint yellow line on its back.The pupa is found away from the food plant on a fence or tree or wall, suspended by a silk pad and silk girdle.
What do the caterpillars eat?
Small white caterpillars are also referred to as cabbage whites because of their liking for cultivated brassicas but they appear to do less damage than the large white species. This may be because eggs are laid singly rather than in clusters but also because they rely just as much on related wild foodplants including garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata, charlock Sinapsis arvensis, hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale and wild mignonette Reseda lutea. They also eat nasturtiums Tropaeolum majus.1.
What happens in winter?
Small whites overwinter as pupae from the second brood. These are usually away from the foodplant on trees, fences or buildings.
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on thistles and also bluebells, bugle, common fleabane, dandelions, common bird's-foot-trefoil, daisy, greater stitchwort, hawkweeds, red campion, red clover, sainfoin, hemp-agrimony, knapweeds, ragged-Robin, ragworts, and wild marjoram.2.
How are they doing?
The 2022 State of UK butterflies report shows a decrease in small white numbers of 22% since 1976 which is a slight improvement on the 25% decline noted in 2015.3. Although still very widespread – possibly the most widespread species in the UK – the distribution has decreased by 15% over the same period. Like the large white, populations can increase dramatically in some years due to large migrations from mainland Europe.
Other interesting facts
The small white is thought to be Europe’s widest spread and commonest butterfly and this may be due to its ability to travel long distances. The butterfly was accidentally introduced to Australia in 1929 and in a few years had spread to the west coast, a distance of 3000km. It is now considered a serious horticultural pest in Australia.2.
References
1. Biological Records Centre database
2. UK Butterflies website
3. State of UK Butterflies 2022 report
.jpg "Small white chrysalis Photo: By Rasbak - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3969896")
Egg
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Small white Pieris rapae
Family: Pieridae
What do they look like?
Small whites can be difficult to distinguish from the large white. Both species are largely white with some black markings and are found in similar habitats using the same plants. Size can help – the small white is considerably smaller (with 38-57mm average wing span compared with 58-63 mm for the large white) but this can be difficult to judge unless seen together and size also varies with individual butterflies. The small white has less black on the wing tips and the colouring is less intense. Male small whites generally have one spot on each forewing and females have two. Again, these colours are fainter and less dark in the small white – more brown-grey than black. The underwings are cream-coloured with faint black dots.
Where are they found?
All Britain and Ireland
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Small whites can be seen in all kinds of habitats and are a very widespread species.
Resident or migrant?
Resident but augmented by summer migrants.
When to see them?
As with their large white cousins there are normally two broods each year with a third one in favourable summers. The first butterflies emerge in April, peaking in May with the second brood emerging in July and lasting until the autumn.
What do the early stages look like?
Eggs are laid singly on the underside of leaves, turning grey and hatching after about a week. The caterpillars are green throughout their instars and have a less striking appearance than the large whites. The final (5th) instar measures about 25mm and although it has black points from which white hairs grow, these are tiny, so that the overall appearance is of a green caterpillar with a faint yellow line on its back.The pupa is found away from the food plant on a fence or tree or wall, suspended by a silk pad and silk girdle.
What do the caterpillars eat?
Small white caterpillars are also referred to as cabbage whites because of their liking for cultivated brassicas but they appear to do less damage than the large white species. This may be because eggs are laid singly rather than in clusters but also because they rely just as much on related wild foodplants including garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata, charlock Sinapsis arvensis, hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale and wild mignonette Reseda lutea. They also eat nasturtiums Tropaeolum majus.1.
What happens in winter?
Small whites overwinter as pupae from the second brood. These are usually away from the foodplant on trees, fences or buildings.
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on thistles, and also bluebells, bugle, common fleabane, dandelions, common bird's-foot-trefoil, daisy, greater stitchwort, hawkweeds, red campion, red clover, sainfoin, hemp-agrimony, knapweeds, ragged-Robin, ragworts, and wild marjoram.2.
How are they doing?
The 2022 State of UK butterflies report shows a decrease in small white numbers of 22% since 1976 which is a slight improvement on the 25% decline noted in 2015.3. Although still very widespread – possibly the most widespread species in the UK – the distribution has decreased by 15% over the same period. Like the large white, populations can increase dramatically in some years due to large migrations from mainland Europe.
Other interesting facts
The small white is thought to be Europe’s widest spread and commonest butterfly and this may be due to its ability to travel long distances. The butterfly was accidentally introduced to Australia in 1929 and in a few years had spread to the west coast, a distance of 3000km. It is now considered a serious horticultural pest in Australia.2.
References
1. Biological Records Centre database
2. UK Butterflies website
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
