Large White

Scientific Name - Pieris brassicae

Flight Period - March to October (two broods)

Overwinters as - Pupa

Habitat - Gardens, parks, grasslands, woodlands etc.

Larval foodplants - Cabbage family, Nasturtiums

Conservation status - Low Priority

Northamptonshire distribution - Widespread

Best public sites to see them - Anywhere with suitable habitat

This is a very common butterfly that can be seen anywhere with suitable habitats, especially in gardens and allotments where its main food plants (brassicas) are cultivated. The reputation this butterfly has as a pest species has earned it, along with the Small White, the nickname of the “Cabbage White”. This is a big bright white butterfly with a large black mark on the apex of the forewings. The males have one spot in the middle of the forewing, whereas the females have two spots and a dark line running along the bottom of the forewings. For more information on how to identify the commoner Whites click here.

Large White Distribution 2018 - 2022

Large White upperwing

Large White underwing