Small White Butterfly Pieris rapae/ Artogeia rapae
The Small White butterfly, one of the two "cabbage whites", has an elongated black mark at the back of the leading edge of
the forewing but it is not curved round the corner like that of the Large White.
The female (above) has two black spots on the topside of each forewing; in some cases it looks like three black spots, two of which are very close together.
The male Small White (above) has one black or grey spot on each forewing and the corner mark is usually less distinct than that of the female.
Both have a pale yellow underside slightly mottled with grey.
Small Whites coupled; smaller female has three small black dots together and one black blob.
Rarely, the male may appear completely white.
Side, female.
Side, male.
The Small White is native to Eurasia and North Africa and has been introduced to North America and Australasia.
Links:
Small White Caterpillar, Egg, Pupa
Large White
Green-veined White
Orange-tip
Southern Small White Butterfly
Pieris mannii/ Artogeia mannii
On the Southern Small White butterfly, prevalent in southern Europe and overlapping territories with the Small White,
the outer black mark extends round the topside of the forewing slightly (but not as much as on the Large White).
The above photos were taken in Tenerife, where the Small White co-exists with the Southern Small White (and the Canary Large White).
The black on the wing "corner" of the Southern Small White above right could be mistaken for the Large White,
except that it was in Tenerife, where the conventional Large White is replaced by a different-looking native species
(Canary Large White, - has large black square on wing).
