Family PIERIDAE 
Genus LEPTIDEA, Billberg, 1820 
THE WOOD WHITE 
Leptidea sinapis (Linn., 1758). 
(Plate XXVril, facing page 321) 
Distribution. Prior to about 1920, this little butterfly 
had for some mysterious reason disappeared from many 
of its former haunts during the past half-century. But 
from some unknown cause it has, within the last few years, 
re-established itself in many districts, especially in parts of 
Surrey and Sussex. Formerly it was abundant in the New 
Forest. The Wood White occurs in several isolated localities 
throughout England and Wales, especially in Devon, Cornwall, 
Herefordshire, Lancashire and Cumberland. It is common 
and widely distributed in the south and west of Ireland, but 
is unknown in Scotland. Abroad its range is very extensive, 
occurring throughout Europe, Asia, Siberia as far as China, 
and Japan. 
As regards this country, stray specimens have from time to 
time been obtained in widely separated localities where it 
has not been known to occur either before or after. 
As its name, the Wood White, signifies, this butterfly is a 
denizen of the woodlands, frequenting the rides and openings, 
along which it restlessly wings its way with a rather slow, 
fluttering flight. 
Time of Appearance. The Wood White is usually a single- 
brooded species, but in certain seasons two broods appear, 
the first in May and June, and the second brood in July and 
August. In north Cornwall it is essentially single-brooded, 
and occurs in July, when it frequents the lanes, along the 
borders of which its food plant, the Tuberous Pea, abounds. 
This elegant little butterfly is most commonly seen during 
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