JUNE: Large White Butterfly PUPAE

True to its name, the Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae) is a large species by British standards, with a wingspan between 6 and 7cm. It is a robust flyer, commonly observed floating between flowers during the summer throughout Europe. Although most butterfly species are declining greatly in numbers, the Large White population has remained consistent in the UK with a decline of only around 3% since 1970. Caterpillars can often be found on cabbages and related plants in gardens and fields during summer - in captivity they can even be reared on supermarket cabbage! Nasturtium is also an excellent host species. There are typically 2 or 3 broods per year, with the final one pupating in early autumn and overwintering until late the following spring when the butterflies begin to emerge once again! I can remember as a child finding mature caterpillars around my grandparent’s garden in the late summer as they searched for somewhere to pupate and spend the winter - despite being an ‘easy’ species it remains one of my favourites.