Unidentified White Butterfly

[welshrich]

I have terrible trouble distinguishing between the white butterflies. Can anyone give me any pointers. To start with, what is the best way to tell a small and large white butterfly apart (please don't tell me one is smaller than the other!)

Here is one I saw last week that I cannot identify




It looks small to me but it also has black veins?

[harasseddad]

I won't mention size, mainly cos it's really easy to get confused about how big a flying object is. There are four species of whites you have to worry about:the large,small, wood and green-veined. We eliminate the green-veined because the underside shows distinct veins outlined in black (that's your photo by the way) - if you can see the veins from any distence it's a green-veined. The wood white is a small, dainty thing, very weak flyer and currently confined to the Southern end of England n- looks more like a moth than a butterfly as it flies.

That leaves large and small. All of them have black tips to the wings and all have spots on the forewings except the male large white. The male small white has a single black spot, both females have double spots, but the female large also has a black streak from just below the second spot running back to the body:

So (looking at the forewing upperside patterns)

no spot = small white male
one spot = large white male
two spots = small white female
two spots and streak = large white female

[aeshna]

Hi Welshrich,

I'd say that was Green-veined White. The veins are clearly 'dusted' either side. I've seen them so heavily marked I've had to look more than once to make sure it wasn't Black-veined White!! especially first brood. If you have any other photos of this one, please could you post them.

Cheers

Aeshna

[aeshna]

Hi again Welshrich,

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-14142.html

Have a look at this picture in the galleries, you can see it has a more 'plain' underside, on your picture the veins are prominent. I'd say this one was a Small White as the wing tips look charcoal grey not black.

Cheers

Aeshna

[DL]

Agree with that and I also find that once you have had a good look at both of them the underwing of the Small White is destinctly yellow rather than green and that the antenna of Green-veined White are very clearly black and white banded.

[aeshna]

Originally Posted by DL

I also find that once you have had a good look at both of them the underwing of the Small White is destinctly yellow rather than green and that the antenna of Green-veined White are very clearly black and white banded.

Hi DL,

I knew about the difference it colouration but not about the banding on the antenna. I've had a look at a few pictures and what an excellent feature for helping i.d Whites. Many thanks for that pointer

Cheers

Aeshna

[DL]

This morning while mointoring butterflys I counted 124 Green-veined White and 1 small White. I expect to be seeing antennae in my sleep.

[jennyb]

I have read all your tips for identifying white butterflies, but I thought I would throw in another one.

Does the stripy antenna mean that it is a green-veined, even though the veins are not green? Or, does the lack of black markings and spot mean it is a small white male? Or, could it be a wood white?

Why are these things so difficult to identify



Jenny

[aeshna]

Originally Posted by jennyb

I have read all your tips for identifying white butterflies, but I thought I would throw in another one.

Does the stripy antenna mean that it is a green-veined, even though the veins are not green? Or, does the lack of black markings and spot mean it is a small white male? Or, could it be a wood white?

Why are these things so difficult to identify

Jenny

Hi Jennyb,

its not GVW, although the antenna is slightly stripey and it's not WW as these have a touch of grey and a slightly different shape to them (more rounded). The underside on this shot is a uniform yellow. I'd say Large or Small White, but I don't think there's enough key features available to correctly name it.

These things are so difficult cos it wouldn't be fun if they were always easy

Cheers

Aeshna

ps - if pushed off the fence, I'd land on the Small White side

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by aeshna

I don't think there's enough key features available to correctly name it.

It flew away before I could get another shot and I did not manage to see the top side of the wings.

Thanks for the feedback.

Jenny