Small White (<i>Pieris rapae</i>)

The Small White is found in any sort of habitat where its larval foodplants grow, such as gardens, parks, grasslands, heathland and woodland. The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves of a wide variety of crucifers, including cultivated brassicas, and also on Reseda species, such as Wild Mignonette (R. lutea). The caterpillars grow very rapidly, sometimes pupating after two weeks. The pupa hangs in a silken girdle, normally on vertical surfaces, and hibernates in this stage. The Small White has several generations a year, depending on the geographical position and altitude of the flight area, and the length of the summer.

Family	Pieridae
Subfamily	Pierinae
Genus	Pieris
Species	rapae
Authority	(Linnaeus, 1758)
English Name	Small White

European Red List 2010	Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010	Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025	Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025	Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

#	Order	Family	Genus	Species	Vernacular Name
1	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Alliaria	petiolata	Garlic Mustard
2	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabidopsis	arenosa	Sand Rock-cress
3	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis	caucasica	Garden Arabis
4	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Armoracia	rusticana	Horse-radish
5	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Aubrieta	deltoidea	Aubretia
6	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Aurinia	saxatilis	Golden Alison
7	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Barbarea	stricta	Small-flowered Winter-cress
8	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Barbarea	vulgaris	Winter-cress
9	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Berteroa	incana	Hoary Alison
10	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Biscutella	laevigata
11	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	cretica ssp. cretica
12	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	napus	Oil-seed Rape (see ssp.)
13	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	oleracea	Cabbages
14	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	rapa	Turnip (see ssp.)
15	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Calepina	irregularis
16	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	acris
17	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	amara	Large Bitter-cress
18	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	hirsuta	Hairy Bitter-cress
19	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cochlearia	danica	Danish Scurvygrass
20	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Coincya	monensis ssp. cheiranthos
21	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Crambe	maritima	Sea-kale
22	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Diplotaxis	tenuifolia	Perennial Wall-rocket
23	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Eruca		Garden Rocket
24	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Eruca	vesicaria	Garden Rocket
25	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Erucastrum	gallicum	Hairy Rocket
26	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Erysimum	cheiranthoides	Treacle-mustard
27	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Hirschfeldia	incana	Hoary Mustard
28	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Iberis	pinnata
29	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Iberis	sempervirens	Perennial Candytuft
30	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Iberis	umbellata	Garden Candytuft
31	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Isatis	tinctoria	Woad
32	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	campestre	Field Pepperwort
33	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	coronopus	Swine-cress
34	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	didymum	Lesser Swine-cress
35	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	draba	Hoary Cress
36	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	graminifolium	Tall Pepperwort
37	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	sativum	Garden Cress
38	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	virginicum	Least Pepperwort
39	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lobularia	maritima	Sweet Alison
40	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lunaria	annua	Honesty
41	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Matthiola		Stocks
42	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Nasturtium	officinale	Water-cress
43	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Pseudoturritis	turrita	Tower Cress
44	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Raphanus	raphanistrum	Wild Radish (see ssp.)
45	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Raphanus	raphanistrum ssp. sativus
46	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rhamphospermum	arvense
47	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rhamphospermum	nigrum
48	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	austriaca	Austrian Yellow-cress
49	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	palustris	Marsh Yellow-cress
50	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	sylvestris	Creeping Yellow-cress
51	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sinapis	alba	White Mustard
52	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium		Rockets
53	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	austriacum
54	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	officinale	Hedge Mustard
55	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	orientale	Eastern Rocket
56	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Thlaspi	arvense	Field Penny-cress
57	Brassicales	Capparaceae	Capparis	spinosa
58	Brassicales	Cleomaceae	Cleome	speciosa
59	Brassicales	Cleomaceae	Cleome	spinosa
60	Brassicales	Resedaceae	Reseda		Mignonettes
61	Brassicales	Resedaceae	Reseda	lutea	Wild Mignonette
62	Brassicales	Resedaceae	Reseda	odorata	Garden Mignonette
63	Brassicales	Tropaeolaceae	Tropaeolum	majus	Nasturtium
64	Brassicales	Tropaeolaceae	Tropaeolum	peregrinum	Canary-creeper
65	Caryophyllales	Amaranthaceae	Atriplex		Oraches
66	Sapindales	Rutaceae	Ruta	graveolens	Rue

Small White (Pieris rapae)

Description

Distribution

Larval Foodplants