| Actual Image
Pieris brassicae (130)
Alex99
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (23735) | After fruitful discussion concerning a species of my second butterfly (In evening sun beams) I cautiously declare: it is, possibly, the Pieris brassicae. I have a sole series of this butterfly consisting of several photos. All photos are taken with an interval in some tens seconds. As a workshop, I have placed a photo taken at the closest distance in minute after an original photo.
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The Large White or Cabbage White Pieris brassicae is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. The butterfly is called the Large Cabbage White in India.
Appearance, behaviour and distribution
The Large White is common throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia to the Himalayas often in agricultural areas, meadows and parkland. It is a strong flyer and the British population is reinforced in most years by migrations from the continent. Its wingspan is 5 to 6.5 cm.
The wings are white, with black tips on the forewings of both males and females, the female also has two black spots on each forewing. the underside is a pale greenish and serves as excellent camouflage when at rest. The black marking are generally darker in the summer brood.
Lifecycle and foodplants
The female lays batches of 20 to 100 yellow eggs on plants in the cabbage family and can be a pest on food crops. They seem to have a preference for cultivated varieties of Brassica oleracea such as cabbage and brussel sprouts. The caterpillars are yellowish green with yellow lines and black spots and feed in groups in plain view on the leaf surface. They gain protection from predators by obtaining distastful mustard oils from their foodplants although large numbers are sometimes lost to the parasitic wasp Apanteles glomeratus. The chrysalis is also yellowish green with black spots. The species over-winters as a chrysalis. It has two broods in a year, the first is on the wing in May and June and the second in August.
Source: Large White
See also: Pieris brassicae |
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