Large White (Pieris Brasicae)
I’ve been trying to take a photo of this This very common species of butterfly for ages, but sadly due to their very skittish nature I’ve never managed to get close enough without them flying off. Luckily patience (and being very still) paid off & I managed it last week.

They can be found from April to September in flowery places especially near cultivation. There are usually three broods every year and the eggs are laid of Brassicas and other cruciferous plants including Cabbages, which makes them the bane of most gardeners lives when the larva hatch in large numbers & feed gregariously.
However The large White doesn’t have it all it’s own way though. The parasitic wasp Apanteles glomeratus lays it’s eggs inside the larva by means of its needle like ovipositor, and when the eggs hatch the wasp larva eat the poor caterpillar from the inside out before it has chance to pupate
Large Whites are common throughout Europe, with much migration into Britain, leading to a very large population during the Summer months.




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