Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Sweden
Whites and yellows · Sweden

Wood White

Leptidea sinapis

Wood White is a small white butterfly with thin, droplet-shaped wings and a grey spot at the tip of its forewings. It has the largest distribution area of the two white butterfly species in Scandinavia.

Status in this countryLeast concern in SwedenLC (Least concern)
Wood White
Photo: Hans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0

Flight period

The first generation appears from the second to the third week of May through to mid-June (in Northern Sweden, often into July); the second generation flies from late July to mid-August.

Habitat

Clearings and smaller clearings in forest ground, both in deciduous forests and mixed forests, most often on sand and moraine substrates.

Identifying features

Wingspan 36–44 mm. A butterfly with a very slender abdomen and thin, teardrop-shaped white wings, featuring a light grey to dark grey spot at the apex of the forewing (apical spot). The underside is white with a yellowish tinge and more or less extensive black scaling.

Similar species

Wood White and Cryptic wood white are so similar to each other that it is almost impossible to distinguish the species from individual specimens in the field. However, their flight times and host plants differ, which allows one to reliably distinguish the populations based on the habitat.

Distribution

Wood White has the largest distribution area of the two species in Northern Europe and is found in Sweden from Skåne to the Torne area (Lapland), including Öland and Gotland. Norway contains it from Østfold and Rogaland to Trøndelag.

Biology

The growth is primarily due to owl’s-claws, which can be abundant along smaller forest roads in areas with poor soil. The population density is generally low. A weak, erratic flight is characteristic.