West Virginia White

Pieris virginiensis

''Pieris virginiensis'', the West Virginia white, is a butterfly found in North America in the Great Lakes states, along the Appalachians from New England to Alabama, and in southern Ontario. They are typically found in moist deciduous forests. Forestry, development, and a highly-invasive species that it confuses with its host plant are causing this species to decline.
West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis) Vulnerable Worldwide and Vulnerable Locally (S3). ID confirmed. A rare find! I had two of them fluttering around my muddy boots, hoping to nectar on both me and the mud I had picked up. It was hard to get any good shots, but I plan on going back down to the valley for a look (and hopefully some better photos). This species is on the rapid decline due to forest/habitat fragmentation. According to BugGuide, "The introduction of the non-native garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata endangers this butterfly that sometimes lays its eggs on it but the caterpillars find it indigestible." Geotagged,Pieris virginiensis,Spring,United States,West Virginia white

Appearance

It has translucent whitish wings of length 4.5–5.5 cm; the hindwing underside has brownish or pale gray scaling along the veins.
West Virginia White (Pieris virginiensis) Nectaring on Cardamine concatenata in a moist mixed forest valley, near a seasonal stream. Geotagged,Pieris virginiensis,Spring,United States,West Virginia White

Status

Along with the butterfly ''Pieris oleracea'', it is threatened by the invasive weed garlic mustard, ''Alliaria petiolata''. The butterflies, having not evolved to be familiar with the plant, confuse it with their host plants. The offspring laid on garlic mustard do not survive.

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Status: Unknown
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyPieridae
GenusPieris
SpeciesP. virginiensis
Photographed in
United States of America