white butterfly (redirected from Whites (butterfly))

white butterfly

White butterfly (Pieris brassicae).

(credit: Chr Lederer-Bavaria-Verlag)

Any of several lepidopteran species of the family Pieridae that are found worldwide. Adults have a wingspan of 1.5–2.5 in. (38–63 mm); the wings are white, with black marginal markings. The pattern and colour of many species vary with sex and season. Many of the green, slender larvae, most of which are covered with a short down, or pile, are pests of garden crops. The pupae are attached to a twig by a posterior spine and a girdle of silk. See also cabbage white.