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Large White, Itchen Navigation, Hampshire

Pieris brassicae, the large white, also called cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, cabbage moth (erroneously), or in India the large cabbage white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is a close relative of the small white, Pieris rapae.

 

The large white is common throughout Europe, north Africa, and Asia to the Himalayas often in agricultural areas, meadows and parkland. It has managed to establish a population in South Africa and in 1995 it was predicted to spread to Australia and New Zealand.[1][2]

 

The large white is a strong flier and the British population is reinforced in most years by migrations from the continent

 

The large white ova are pale yellow, turning darker yellow within twenty-four hours of being oviposited. A few hours prior to hatching, they become black, the shell more transparent, and the larvae visible within.

 

 

For both males and females, the wings are white with black tips on the forewings. The female also has two black spots on each forewing. The underside of each wing is a pale greenish and serves as excellent camouflage when at rest. The black markings are generally darker in the summer brood. The large white butterfly's wingspan reaches 5 to 6.5 cm on average.

 

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Uploaded on July 28, 2020
Taken on July 20, 2020