Asian green-veined white
Its wing veins are edged with black scales, a feature absent in a very similar relative it is most often confused with across East Asia.
| Where | Shaded forests and parks in East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 30 to 60 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
This white butterfly has black scaling along the wing veins, heavier on the upperside in summer broods and reduced to fine grey streaks along the underside veins in spring broods. It is easy to confuse with a closely related white butterfly that lacks this dark vein shading.
Caterpillars feed on Cardamine and other mustard family plants, including radish, and adults fly through shaded forest edges and park woodland rather than open, sunny ground, appearing later in the season than its commoner relative.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
White, Black, Grey
Active
Day
To people
Visits flowers in quiet, shaded spots; does not bite or sting and is calm around people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Shows bolder, more sharply defined black wingtip markings and lacks the grey vein streaking seen on this species' spring generation.
Questions
Is the Asian green-veined white dangerous to people?
Visits flowers in quiet, shaded spots; does not bite or sting and is calm around people.
When can you see the Asian green-veined white?
The Asian green-veined white can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Whites and yellows›Pieris
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.