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Artogeia mannii

Southern Small White

Field Notes

Valais, Switzerland, April 2009

Valais, Switzerland, May 2009

Valais, Switzerland, August 2009

Vaud, Switzerland, July 2009
This species has expanded 50km from its nearest permanent sites further up the Rhône valley in Valais.

Valais, Switzerland, April 2009
Egg laying and eggs on the larval foodplant Bladderpod, Allyssoides utriculatum

Isère, France, July 2008

Valais, Switzerland, June 2008

Var, France, March 2008

Valais, Switzerland, September 2007

Valais, Switzerland, April 2007

Valais, Switzerland, April 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, May 2006

Valais, Switzerland, April 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, May 2006

Valais, Switzerland, May 2006

Provence, France, September 2003 (m)

A summer generation. Characteristic black lines connect spot in space
three of forewing - clearly visible on left wing.

Alpes Maritimes, France, May 2004 (m)

Spring form.

Macedonia, Greece, May 2004

Spring form.

Macedonia, Greece, May 2004

Spring form.

Provence, France, September 2003

Provence, France, September 2003 (m)

One of the Small Whites it is very close in appearance with the Small White, Artogeia rapae and less so with the Mountain Small White, Artogeia ergane. All three species have several broods per year. In general the spring butterflies are paler with less extensive black markings than subsequent broods while the underside hindwings are more heavily suffused with black scales. I make the following observations on the three species.

	rapae	mannii	ergane
range	Widespread and common in diverse habitats throughout Europe	Widespread in its range which is southern and eastern Europe, although patchy in Spain. Usually rather local but common where found.	Principally an eastern butterfly but found in the mountains of central Italy, southern France and a few places in Spain. Usually very local, occasionally common
size	As mannii	As rapae	Noticeably smaller
coloration	As mannii	As rapae	Noticeably whiter
key markings	see mannii and ergane Underside hindwing generally yellower with less dark scaling - very variable though.	In contrast to rapae: Spot in space 3 upperside forewing usually connected to wing margin by black lines along veins 3 and 4. Lines are not complete in spring brood. Forewing apical mark extends further down margin. Upperside hindwing costal black spot is rather triangular with concave outer side.	Compared to rapae and mannii: Underside forewing black spots are not present - only a shadow of upperside spots can be seen through the wing.

I've found it in many places but most commonly in Greece where it replaces rapae as one of the commonest butterflies on the wing, at least in summer.

Note, there are some subspecies and forms of the Green Veined White, A. napi, that can have very greatly reduced underside markings. These usually have the characteristic lined veins around the cell, albeit greatly reduced in density to the point where they are easily missed by the casual glance.

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