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Wingspan 69 - 76mm

Black-veined White Aporia crataegi a-POOR-ee-uh kra-TEE-jee Linnaeus, 1758 Ref: 1548

Superfamily: Papilionoidea Family: Pieridae Subfamily: Pierinae Genus: Aporia Subgenus:   Species: crataegi

Introduction Distribution Annual Cycle Habitat Larval Foodplants Nectar Sources

Imago Ovum Larva Pupa Similar Species Videos

Sites Conservation Status Links References

Male

Male Underside

Female

Female Underside

	Introduction

First listed as a British species in 1667, this large butterfly became extinct in the British Isles around 1925 with its last remaining stronghold in the south-east of England. This species was always considered a rarity in the British Isles by early entomologists, although it is often very common on the continent.

This species forms discrete colonies that fluctuate greatly in numbers, although the cause of the ultimate demise of this species in the British Isles is a mystery since its foodplants can be found in abundance in all of its former sites. Disease (fostered by poor autumn weather), relatively-mild winters and increased predation by birds have all been suggested as potential causes of this demise. There was a successful reintroduction in Fife, Scotland, although this was only able to survive with appropriate protection of the larvae from birds.

	Distribution

This species is extinct in the British Isles. This species was concentrated primarily in the southern half of England and south Wales. The strongholds were in Kent (which held 40 colonies), Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Sussex.

	Annual Cycle

In the British Isles, this species emerged in late June, peaked in July and survived into August. This butterfly has one generation each year.

	Habitat

Early records of this species showed that it occurred in orchards, lanes, gardens, meadows and wherever its foodplants occurred in abundance.

	Larval Foodplants

The primary larval foodplants are Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and Hawthorns (various) (Crataegus spp.).

	Nectar Sources

Description to be completed

	Imago

An interesting characteristic of this species is that the female, by rubbing her wings together, loses many of her scales, resulting in an almost-transparent look when compared with the white wings of the male. The purpose of this behaviour remains a mystery.

Photo © Paul	Photo © Pete Eeles 14-May-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 20-May-2006	Photo © Neil Hulme
Photo © Guy Padfield	Photo © Pete Eeles 16-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 16-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Jun-2008
Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Jun-2008

	Aberrations

Description to be completed

	Ovum

Eggs are laid in batches of between 100 and 200, generally on the underside of a leaf of the foodplant. Eggs are bright yellow when first laid, darkening after a few days. The eggs hatch in 2 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature.

Photo © Pete Eeles 15-May-2005

	Larva

The larva eats the majority of its eggshell on hatching before joining a communal larval web. Groups of larvae leave the web to feed side by side but remain within the web through the winter while still very small, in the 3rd instar. After emerging in the spring, the larvae continue this pattern of communal living, continuing to forage in groups. Larvae are particularly sensitive and will drop from the foodplant if disturbed.

As the larvae grow, they tend to form smaller groups that form sub-communities, each group creating their own web on which to rest. Ultimately, the gregarious behaviour is abandoned, and the fully-grown larvae disperse to feed individually prior to pupation.

Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Apr-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Apr-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Apr-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Apr-2006
Photo © Pete Eeles 17-Apr-2006

	Pupa

The pupa is attached to a stem of the foodplant by a silk girdle and the cremaster and is often quite conspicuous and easy to find. This stage typically lasts around 3 weeks, depending on temperature.

Photo © Pete Eeles 13-May-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 26-Apr-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 16-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 17-Jun-2008
Photo © Pete Eeles 17-Jun-2008

	Similar Species

No similar species found.

	Videos

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	Sites

No sites found.

	Conservation Status

This species is extinct in the British Isles and, therefore, no conservation action is relevant.

	Links

The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.

• British Butterflies by Steven Cheshire
• Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
• European Butterflies by Christopher Jonko
• European Butterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Guy Padfield's European Butterfly Page
• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• Natural History Museum (Cockayne Database)

	References

The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:

• A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
• British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
• South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
• The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
• The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
• The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
• The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.

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