Great British Lepidoptera

Small White

(Pieris Rapae)

The first generation of Small Whites can be seen on the wing from March to May, while the second generation flies from June to September. Their caterpillars' food plants; wild and cultivated members of the Cabbage family, grow almost everywhere, so Small Whites are seen throughout Great Britain.

Although the caterpillars do less damage to Cabbage crops than Large White caterpillars, they can be a more serious pest, as they are very difficult to detect. They are small and unlike Large White caterpillars, are solitary and well camouflaged by their leaf-green colouring. In addition, they start by eating the heart of a Cabbage and progress gradually to the outer leaves, so that by the time they can be seen, most of the damage is done.

As the name suggests, the Small White butterfly is a smaller version of the Large White butterfly and, because they share a food plant and fly in the same places at similar times, they are often confused with each other. Apart from the difference in size, the Large White has broader wings, on which the markings are usually more clearly pronounced.