Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Denmark
Whites and yellows · Denmark

Black-veined White

Aporia crataegi

The black-veined white occurs here and there in Denmark. Wingspan: 50-65 mm. Adults typically begin flying in late May and continue through July. The species flies in heathland, dry grassland, wetlands and other open habitats.

Status in this countryLocally present in DenmarkLC (Least concern)
Black-veined White

Flight period

Typically, the adult butterfly’s flight begins late in May and continues through July. The larva, which lives in groups with siblings, can sometimes, as fully grown larvae, remove large branches, or even entire bushes.

Habitat

Black-veined White flies in heathlands, grasslands, marshes, and other open areas, such as clearings in plantations, with self-sown small hawthorns.

Identifying features

Wingspan is 50-65 mm. The body is entirely black, while the wings are white with very prominent dark veins.

Similar species

Black-veined White can be confused with cabbage whites, which can be identified by the absence of dark spots and patches on both the upper and lower sides of the wings, and on the prominent dark wing veins. It can also be confused with the white-winged warbler (Siona lineata), which also has a thin, dark border, but this is located further in on the wing, where Black-veined White is located closest.

Distribution

Black-veined White appears in several suitable locations throughout Jutland, but is absent in large parts of Southern Jutland, West Jutland, and North Jutland. After having been very rare for several decades, it has become reasonably common throughout Jutland.

Biology

The flight of Black-veined White is rapid and floating. In certain locations, mass appearances can occur in a single year, where the adult butterflies can be observed in the hundreds.