(Linnaeus, 1758)
Wood White
Description:
At present, the Wood White is divided into two species, L. synapis and L. reali, which are indistinguishable in the field. Their distribution is not clear, but their life cycles are similar. These fragile butterflies occur on damp, warm grassland near bushes and scrub.
They lay their thin, spindle-shaped eggs on different sorts of Lathyrus and birdsfoot-trefoil (Lotus spp.). Cream, turning to bright yellow as they mature, they are easy to find. The chrysalis is pale-green, and the winter is spent in this stage.
In the north of its range, it is single-brooded, but in the middle it has two generations a year, and in the south sometimes three.
Habitat:
Mesophile grasslands
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Leptidea morsei