Green-veined White: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Butterflies of Europe · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Its name comes from the underside of its hindwings: pale yellow, with veins lined in black scales that give them a greenish look.
2. The male gives off a scent people can smell: citral, the same compound that gives lemon peel its flavour.
3. Unlike the large and small whites, it seldom lays eggs on garden cabbages. It prefers wild plants of the mustard family.
4. It often shares a plant with the orange tip without competing: it eats leaves, while the orange tip caterpillar eats flowers and seed pods.
5. To tell the sexes apart, count the spots on the forewing: the female has two, the male just one.

The quiz

1. Where does the green-veined white's name come from?

• Its bright green upper wings
• Its green eyes
• Greenish-looking veins under its hindwings (correct)
• It lives only in green forests

Black scales along the veins give the underside a greenish tint.

2. What does the male green-veined white smell of?

• Mint
• Lemon (correct)
• Vanilla
• Rotten fruit

He gives off citral, the flavour compound in lemon peel.

3. Where does the green-veined white prefer to lay its eggs?

• On wild plants of the mustard family (correct)
• On garden cabbages
• On oak leaves
• On grass stems

It rarely uses garden cabbages and prefers wild crucifers.

4. How does it avoid competing with the orange tip caterpillar on the same plant?

• It eats only the roots
• It feeds only in winter
• It eats the flowers, the orange tip eats the leaves
• It eats the leaves, the orange tip eats flowers and seed pods (correct)

It usually eats the leaves, while the orange tip caterpillar eats flowers and developing seed pods.

5. How many spots does a female have on each forewing?

• One
• Two (correct)
• Four
• None

Females carry two spots per forewing; males have only one.

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