Return to Lepidoptera Index | Insect Index

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)

Gonepteryx rhamni
  • Cambridge, Old St Ives Railway TL468612, 12 Aug 2002.
  • Often the first butterfly seen in spring as males emerge from hibernation as early as February.
  • Adults emerging in summer feed without mating to prepare for their own hibernation.
  • Larvae feed on Buckthorn.

Small white Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Pieris rapae
  • Cambridge, 25 May 2002.
  • One of the dreaded "Cabbage Whites" and a serious pest
  • The caterpillars are solitary and feed in the hearts of cabbages

Green-veined white Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge (l) 14 Jul 2001, male; (r) 11 May 2002.
Pieris napi Pieris napi
Unlike its close relatives P. brassicae and P. rapae the larvae do not attack cultivated brassicas, feeding on other wild crucifers instead.

Return to Lepidoptera Index | Insect Index