Small White Butterfly - Pieris rapae
Phylum: Arthropoda - Class: Insecta - Order: Lepidoptera - Family: Pieridae
The Small White butterfly first appears in March and is seen on the wing throughout the summer and into autumn. There are two or more broods per year. They are found in open countryside as well as in gardens and allotments throughout Britain.
The eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves and can take anything between three and ten days to hatch, depending on temperature. Usually there is a spring brood and a summer brood, so you can sometimes find eggs from April through to early September.
Catterpillars of the small white butterfly can do great damage to brassicas such as cabbages and broccoli - as also can its close relative the Large White, which is often referred to as the 'cabbage white' butterfly.
Studying butterflies and moths...
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