Whites (Pieridae)
This family of seven includes the notorious 'cabbage whites', but also some real gems.
Brimstone - These are always nice to see. Stunning lemon yellow, you can't mistake them for anything else. For years I only ever saw them dashing around woodland clearings, or darting across our garden. Then I discovered Grafton Wood in Worcs, where in August you can see several calmly nectaring on flowers, offering some lovely photo opportunities.
Female
Clouded Yellow - I've only seen one of these to date. They are Summer migrants, like the Painted Lady, but generally much less widespread. Preferring the South. This one was on the Purbeck coast in late May. I had been wondering how easy they'd be to spot, but as soon as this one flew past me there was no doubting what it was. They're large, with round buttery yellow wings. Even the Brimstone, the only other yellow, could not be mistaken for them.
Green-veined White - A common and widespread species that has a Spring and a Summer brood. The summer brood have much darker wing spots and wing corner shading. The top row photos show a Spring bred male then female, the 2nd row show a Summer bred male then female. Spring males usually have no spots.
They are very versatile in terms of food and nectar plants but unlike the Large and the Small they are not a threat to the veg garden.
Females directly above
Large White - Almost certainly our least popular butterfly. They can and often do wreck garden brassica crops. I've had many ruined myself. Not an easy species to photograph as they don't rest often and when they do they don't fully open their wings.
Female
Orange-tip - This is one of the earliest, non-wintering, butterflies to emerge and one of those special signs of Spring. A beautiful sight, both with wings open or closed. It's the males that get noticed, with their bright orange wingtips.
Female
The tiny orange bullet shaped object on this Lady's Smock stem is an egg. This is probably their favourite food plant.
Small White - Like the Green-veined the Small White has two broods of which the Summer brood tend to have slightly darker markings. A very widespread species. They do lay eggs on garden brassica plants, but as they lay them singularly, as opposed to the Large's clusters, they are no where near as damaging. Very similar in size to the Green-veined.
Photo1 shows a Spring male and 3 a Summer male. 2 is a female.
Wood White - Very unlike the other Whites. This is a quiet, delicate and slow moving butterfly. A woodland species, as the name suggests. Quite rare and not likely to be encountered away from their known haunts.
