Small White (pieris rapae)

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2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.

Undoubtedly the most common butterfly in Europe. As such it has not received as much attention from me as it should. I plan to study it a little more closely in future, especially with regard to its close cousin, the Southern Small White (P. mannii) (see this page for distinguishing features) which is quite common, perhaps even more so than rapae, in southern Var.

2981: a male of the summer brood. The unh, just visible, is very pale indeed. The key to ID is the upf apical area. In summer brood rapae this mark extends down to vein 6 or 5. The black upf spot in s3 seems quite light, though. Altitude 2040m.

2981_male_Alpes Maritimes_24Jul06