Aporia crataegi

About this butterfly

The Black-veined White is a white butterfly whose wings are traced with black veins. It is extinct as a resident in Britain but still occurs in much of continental Europe. Adults fly in late spring and early summer around orchards, hedges and open woodland. Hawthorn and related Rosaceae are larval hosts. Nectar is taken from various flowers. Outbreaks of larvae can defoliate fruit trees. The species is sensitive to pesticides and the loss of traditional hedges. Eastern populations are often more secure than those in the west. The everyday English name is Black-veined White. A slow, sailing flight makes the black veins easy to see against the sky.