Southern Small White (pieris mannii)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 7987_male_Isere_5Jul07 | 2555_male_Var_11Jul06 | 7965_male_Isere_5Jul07 |
Very similar to the Small White (P. rapae) but there are some distinguishing features, mainly centring on the upf apical black area. In the summer brood in particular, the mannii upf apical mark is thicker than rapae and reaches down to vein 4 or 3 (rapae reaches only to v6 or v5) and the outer edge of the forewing black spot in s4 is either concave or (broadly) flat (this is more pronounced in 2555), whereas rapae is convex. In my experience this mark in mannii is usually flat rather than concave. Also the unh is less yellow and there is a light dusting of grey scales around the cell (more visible on the enlarged 2555 below). It is reasonably common in southern France.
7987: a male of the summer brood, with generally heavier markings than the first brood. Altitude 900m.
2555: a male, the upf s4 spot is clearly visible, being large, dark and having a broadly straight external edge. Altitude 450m.
7965: a male of the summer brood, with a heavy sprinkling of grey scales on the pure lemon yellow unh. Altitude 900m.
