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Lepidea duponcheli

Eastern Wood White

Field Notes

Alpes de Haute Provence, France, May 2005

Greyer than the Balkan butterflies of the spring generation

Alpes de Haute Provence, France, May 2005

Macedonia, Greece, May 2004

Dark green underside of spring generation.

Macedonia, Greece, May 2004

Taking salts

Macedonia, Greece, May 2004

Macedonia, Greece, July 2004

Very pale yellow underside hindwing markings of the summer generation.

Macedonia, Greece, July 2004

Macedonia, July 2004

Just like the other Wood Whites (Leptidea sp.) duponcheli is a delightful species. It is extremely delicate and flaps weakly (usually) amongst open scrub or woodland. The best opportunities for photography of this incessant flier present themselves when it is actually found at rest – following a butterfly on the wing is a fruitless exercise! This means finding it roosting, drinking at mud or in bad weather.

It has a very distinctive spring brood. The underside hindwing is a solid green with a rectangle of white extending from the base. Later broods are much closer to the later broods of the other Leptidea sp. but the underside hindwings markings retain their distinguishing white basal triangle. The definitive difference is found on the lower half of of the antennal club. If there is any pale of white area present it is not duponcheli. For this species the club should be completely black. Beware, in some female Wood Whites, L. sinapis, there is a small dark brown area which is not evident without close inspection.

Its main distribution is in the Balkans. It also flies in SE France where I found it in spring 2005. It appears to be widespread in the Alpes de Haute Provence. The French butterflies of the spring brood appear much greyer than their Balkan cousins.

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