- Wildlife
- Invertebrates
- Butterflies and moths
- Green-veined White
Mike Breedon
About
The Green-veined White is a fairly small, white butterfly. Adults fly between April and October. A common butterfly, it is found in a wide variety of habitats, including hedgerows, woodland rides and meadows, as well as farmland, gardens and parks. Water-cress is a very common host plant for the butterfly. The foodplants of the caterpillars are members of the cabbage family, including Cuckooflower and Hedge Mustard.
How to identify
The Green-veined White is white with black wingtips and one or two black spots on the forewing. Smaller than the Large White, it has less black in the wing. It can be distinguished from the very similar Small White by the thick grey-green stripes along the veins on the undersides of its wings. It also tends to be found in damper habitats.
Where to find it
Found across the country, although scarcer in the north of Scotland.
Habitats
When to find it
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
How can people help
Butterflies such as the Green-veined White will happily visit your garden and are a joy to watch. To attract butterflies into your garden, plant nectar-rich borders for them to feed along and climbing Ivy and shrubs for overwintering insects. To find out more about encouraging wildlife into your garden, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there's plenty of facts and tips to get you started.