Leptidea sinapis

BUTTERFLY INFO

Leptidea sinapis is a butterfly of the family Pieridae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name

Wood White

Classification

Family: Pieridae > Subfamily: Dismorphiinae >  Genus: Leptidea

Wingspan

Male to female: 35-40 mm

Appearance

This small white butterfly has a general white color in the wings with grey or yellow markings. The underside of the hindwings has a characteristic pattern of grey markings with yellowish and whitish areas in the discal and postdiscal areas.

The male can be distinguished from the female by the black spot at the tip of the forewings that are greatly reduced in the female and by the prominent white patch on the underside of the antennae clubs.

Behavior

The butterfly flies weakly but rarely settles to rest. It rarely opens the wings when resting and flies even on very heavily clouded days.

Habitat

Leptidea sinapis in Crete live in extensive grasslands, woodland clearings, and fringes or sparse pine forests.

Food plant

The larva lives on Fabaceae plants.

Flight Period

The butterfly flies in 2-3 generations per year.

Remarks

The Wood White has limited distribution in Crete. Because of the distinctive wing shape, it can’t be confused with any other Pieridae butterflies of the island. The round shape of their wings, as well as the big spot at the apex, help their identification.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*European Red List of Butterflies, 2010)