May 15, 2013

Many visitors to the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing mistake the Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe) for the Cabbage White (Pieris rapae). While from a distance these two species may appear similar because they are both white and similar in size, upon closer inspection they are quite different. These two species, which are in completely different genera, have very different color patterns. The prolific Cabbage White has a vast geographical distribution over many continents but surprisingly has very little overlap with the Mottled Emigrant. Rest assured on your next visit to the Butterfly Wing that the small white butterfly is a Mottled Emigrant and definitely not a Cabbage White.