mustard white

The wing uppersides are white with no black spots and no black on the tip.

The wing uppersides on the first brood (in spring) has black dusting near the wing bases, along some of the veins, and at the tip. The underside has some veins conspicuously edged with greenish-black, especially on the hindwing.

The wing uppersides on the second brood (in summer) are white with no dark markings and less or no black dusting. The underside of the forewing is white, the hindwing pale yellow.

Wingspan: 1⅜″ to 2″

Cabbage white (Pieris rapae) forewing upperside has one (male) or two (female) black spots near the center of the forewing and black on the tip.

Moist, northern deciduous forests, bogs, fens, shrubby wetlands, woodland edges, moist grasslands near woodlands

Two broods: Early May to mid-June and early July to late September

Leaves of plants in the mustard (Brassicaceae) family.

Flower nectar

Sources

7, 21, 29, 30, 75, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 7/22/2025).

Spring Form

Mustard White
DianesDigitals

Mustard White (Pieris oleracea)
Andree Reno Sanborn

Pieris napi (Mustard White)
Allen Chartier

Mustard White Butterfly - Walworth Co. - 14 April 2012
Eric Howe