Leptidea sinapis

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Var, France, May 2005

Var, France, April 2004

Var, France, April 2004

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

Pelopennesos, Greece, June 2002

This is a widespread butterfly across Europe. In places it is in decline, including the UK. It is flight characteristic. It isn't a strong flyer, flapping weakly along woodland edges and roadside or even town centres. However it seemingly never stops flying! It is only with luck that it can be caught feeding.

There are several very similar species. Particularly the Real's Wood White, L. reali. Statistically there are differences in wing markings but without a long series of set specimens I doubt anyone would really claim to be able to tell them apart. Allegedly reali is a much stronger flier than sinapis, but again this is going to be rather subjective and not definitive. As such I know of only one way of being certain - in Ireland sinapis flies only on the Burren, County Claire. All other butterflies that have been identified through genitalia dissections have proved to be reali. In contrast all UK butterflies have proven to be sinapis. Such geographical splits probably exist elsewhere but I don't know of any.