The Wood White is a butterfly of the Pieridae

Pieridae

The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...

 family.

Distribution and ecology

It is found in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and eastwards across the Caucasus

Caucasus

The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...

, Asia Minor

Asia Minor

Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...

, the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, Middle Asia

Middle Asia

Middle Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west, to Mongolia in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north. The geographical term has appeared sometime prior to the 20th century in the Russian Empire and was closely associated with the Russian Turkestan and the...

, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

 and South Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

 to the Baikal

Baikal

Baykal commonly refers to Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russia.Baykal or Baikal may also refer to:-Russia:*Baykal, Irkutsk Oblast, an urban-type settlement*Baykal, Aurgazinsky District, Republic of Bashkortostan, a village...

 region.

Geographical variation is slight but the following subspecies are recognized: spp. sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758) European (type locality Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, W. Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

, the S. Altai

Altai Republic

Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:...

; ssp. pseudodiniensis (Pfeiffer

Ernst Pfeiffer

Ernst Pfeiffer was a German entomologist who specialised in LepidopteraHe was a publisher and bookseller. Pfeiffer made numerous collecting trips to Hungary, Dalmatia, Bulgaria, and Persia...

, 1927) the Caucasus

Caucasus

The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...

, Kopet-Dagh; ssp. melanoinspersa Verity

Ruggero Verity

Ruggero Verity was an Italian entomologist who specialised in butterflies.Verity was born in Florence on 20 May 1883, the elder son of Richard Henry Manners Verity and his wife Matilda daughter of Cav. Sebastiano Fenzi and Emily Verity...

, 1911 W. and N. Tian-Shan, Dzhungarsky Alatau

Alatau

Alatau or Ala-Too is a generic name for a number of mountain ranges in Central Asia, characterized by interleaving areas of vegetation, scattered rocks and snows.The Alatau Mountains are located in the North East of Kazakhstan...

, Alay Mountains

Alay Mountains

The Alay or Alai Mountains is a mountain range that extends from the Tien Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan west into Tajikistan. It is part of the Pamir-Alay mountain system. The range runs approximately east to west. Its highest summit is Pik Tandykul , 5544 m. The southern slopes of the range...

. There is an uncertainly ranked form from Darvaz

Darvaz

Darvaz , alternatively spelt Darwaz, Darvoz, or Darwoz, was an independent principality until the 19th century, ruled by a mir and its capital was at Kalai-Khumb. The kingdom controlled territory on the left and right banks of the Oxus River. In 1878 Darvaz was invaded by neighboring Bukhara and...

.

The insect is found in meadows, forest edges and sparse forests up to 2,500 m above sea level.The adult flies from April-October in two, sometimes three, generations. Host plants in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; Lorkovic, 1947; Ebert, 1991): Fabaceae (Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus

Lotus corniculatus

Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...

, Vicia spp.).

Similar species

Leptidea sinapis is one of three species in a cryptic species complex. The other members are Leptidea reali and Leptidea juvernica. Similar species are Lepidea morsei Leptidea duponcheli, L. amurensis.

British Isles

Once a common and widespread butterfly across the southern half of the UK, this species has seen a drastic decline over the past 150 years. It is now found only in a few scattered colonies in Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...

, Worcestershire

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

, Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...

, Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

 and Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

. In Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Wood Whites are much more common and widespread than in England. Moreover, until 2001, they were thought to be expanding their range there. However, it is now known that the vast majority are the almost identical species Réal's Wood White

Real's Wood White

The Réal's Wood White, Leptidea reali, is a butterfly of the Pieridae family.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:Réal's Wood White has been found in many western Europe countries but has not been found in Britain. In Ireland, where it was only positively identified in 2001, it is commoner and...

 Leptidea reali. L. sinapis is only found in the Burren

Burren

Burren can refer to:*The Burren, a karst landscape in County Clare, Ireland*Burren, County Down, a village in Northern Ireland*Burren College of Art, an art college in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland*Burrén and Burrena, twin hills in Aragon, Spain...

 region in the west of Ireland. It is Britain's smallest and rarest white butterfly and has a slow, delicate flight. Rarely, if ever, this species can be seen on treeless, unforested areas. The upperside is white with greyish tips to the forewings but they never settle with their wings open. The underside is a pale greyish green and serves as a good camouflage when settled.
It has one main flight period in a season, late may to June but in warm summers a partial second shorter one occurs in August.

The female lays her eggs on various members of the pea family in late May and June, most commonly Meadow Vetchling

Meadow vetchling

Lathyrus pratensis or Meadow vetchling, also known as the Meadow Pea and Meadow pea-vine, is a perennial legume that grows to 1.2 m in height....

 Lathyrus pratensis, bitter vetch

Bitter vetch

Vicia ervilia, the bitter vetch, is an ancient grain legume crop of the Mediterranean region. Besides the English name, other common names include: Gavdaneh , kersannah , yero , rovi , and burçak . The nutritional value of the grain for ruminant production has guaranteed the continued cultivation...

 Lathyrus linifolius, Tufted Vetch

Tufted Vetch

Vicia cracca , is a species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. It occurs on other continents as an introduced species, including North America, where it is a common weed...

 Vicia cracca and Birds-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus

Lotus corniculatus

Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...

. The larvae are green and well camouflaged on their foodplant. Pupation takes place at the end of July in surrounding scrub and it is this stage which overwinter

Overwinter

To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible...

s.