Butterflies of Northumberland

Featured image: Small White ([1] @Neil Freeman)

• Class: Insecta
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Pieridae
• Subfamily: Pierinae
• Genus: Pieris
• Species: rapae

Conservation Status: No Concern

 

 

 

Appearance:

• Wingspan: 38 – 57mm [1]
• Sexual dimorphism: Yes. Female dorsal wing contains two black/grey spots, males only have one and it is fainter.
• Wing Shape: forewings smooth edged, wide and veined
• Dorsal Wing: Primarily white with black shaded wing tips. depending on gender, wings contain one or two central spots
• Ventral Wing: Creamy white/Yellow
• Body: Black topside and white underside

The Small White is very similar in appearance to its close relative the Large White. Apart from being smaller, The Small Whites’ black spots are not as bold as seen in Large Whites [2].

Green Veined whites also appear very similar to Small Whites. The Small white is usually larger and a much brighter white [2], Also the ventral wing surface is much m

Large Whites and Small Whites are known as ‘Cabbage Whites’ due to both of their nature of feeding upon garden crucifers (Cabbage and Sprouts etc.) as caterpillars. The Cabbage Whites are considered a pest to many farmers and gardeners. ore uniform yellow in Small Whites.

Distribution:

The Small White is one of the most widely distributed butterflies in the world [2]. It can be found in North America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia [2]. Within Britain the Small White is found throughout all of England and Wales but is much scarcer in Northern Scotland [1].

The Small White is adapted to almost every British habitat (excluding mountainous peaks) but is most commonly found near gardens and farmland [1,2]. The Large White is found in open countryside, towns and suburbs, anywhere where there is plentiful sources of Brassicas (Mustard plants) and Crucifers (Cabbage and sprouts etc.) [3].

Life Cycle:

Small White butterflies have 2 broods per year (3 in a good year) [1]. Unlike the Large White, eggs are laid singly. The larval Foodplants Crucifer (Cruciferae spp.) and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus).

Butterfly: The first brood emerges during late April and persist until June when they will start to tail off. Then the Second brood will emerge in July and tail off in September. The Second brood is always greater in abundance than the first and the markings are bolder [1,2].

Egg: Eggs are laid during the months of May and August [1]. They are laid singly upon the underside of the foodplant leaves. They are laid pale, turning yellow and then grey before hatching within a week [1,2]. Small Whites prefer to lay eggs in sheltered environments which makes gardens and allotments ideal locations [1,2].

Pupa: Pupa are formed during the months of July and September [1]. The caterpillars will move away from their foodplant and find a suitable pupation site, such as tree bark or a fence [1]. The second brood will then hibernate throughout winter in its pupal form before awakening and emerging in April.

Behaviour:

The Small White is a very strong flier and it is reported that individuals can cover up to 100 miles in their lifetime [1]. They are highly mobile as they are attracted to new areas by nectar sources that they feed upon. Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.) is the primary nectar source but there are many others that are also used [1,2].

Small Whites use reflective basking whereby sunlight reflects off their half open wings and onto the body in order to maintain a high body temperature [2]. When warm and sunny, individuals will normally rest with their wings shut [2].

Males will patrol foodplant sources such as cabbages as they search for females. When a female is located, the male will provide a short courtship display by bobbing up and down to entice the female to land [2]. If the female accepts then the pair will mate.

The Small White roots during the night singly upon leaf surfaces regardless of whether it is raining or not [2].

Small White In Northumberland:

North East England Status: Very Common Resident [5]

Within Northumberland the Small White is usually more abundant than the Large White [3]. It is a common butterfly that is well distributed across the whole of Northumberland.

In 2015 there was a recorded 2036 Small White butterfly sightings in the Northeast [6]. This was a decline compared to the 3685 sighted in 2014 which was also a poor year for Small white numbers [6]. 2013-2015 have gathered fewer sightings than expected, this could be the start of a decline for the Small Whites in the Northeast.

References:

[1] UK Butterflies (2017) Small White http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=rapae Accessed 21 February 2017

[2] Learn About Butterflies (2017) Pieris rapae http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Britain%20-%20Pieris%20rapae.htm Accessed 21 February 2017

[3] Cook NJ (1990) An atlas of the butterflies of Northumberland and Durham. Northumberland biological records centre, the Hancock museum. Newcastle Upon Tyne

[4] Butterfly conservation 2017) Small White http://butterfly-conservation.org/50-604/small-white.html Accessed 26 February 2017

[5] North East Butterflies (2017) Butterfly Species http://www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk/speciesb/butterflies.html Accessed 21 February 2017

[6] Fleming S, Waller I, Perkins M, Norman R, Dover, Donnelly A (2015) Butterfly summary 2015. Northeast England branch. Butterfly Conservation. http://www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk/download_files/2015ButterflyReport.pdf Accessed 26 February 2017