BLACK-VEINED WHITE
A beautiful, large butterfly, common in most of Europe, but not Britain or most Mediterranean islands, in fact it has been extinct in Britain since 1925. Kefalonia is one of the lucky islands, as I have seen a few of them.
They can form large clusters, often around puddles and they are particularly fond of orchards. The caterpillars are gregarious (fond of company) and live in a shelter of silken webs on leaves. The adults often roost together overnight.
The sexes are similar in appearance, large white wings, with dark veins above and below. The female’s wings are slightly more translucent, as they are known to rub their wings together, which removes the scales, making them almost transparent. Their overall wingspan is 62mm.
I found my black-veined whites on the road, above the beach at Poros, but they can be found near woodland, orchards, meadows, scrubland and often by roads.
