About This Project
The West Virginia White butterfly, or Pieris virginiensis, is a rare butterfly which has only one generation a year: in the springtime. Primarily residing in eastern deciduous forests, the West Virginia White is threatened by both natural and manmade disturbances, like logging, plant invasion, and weather.
This project combines data from historical sources and current efforts to map the known populations of the West Virginia White butterfly through both time and space. Anyone can submit a record. Please be sure that the butterfly you saw is a West Virginia White, and not a cabbage white or mustard white.
The cabbage white butterfly often has distinct dark spots the fronts of its wings, and is most common in open spaces, although it has been spotted in springtime forests, using the same nectaring and host plants as the West Virginia White. The mustard white has a spring generation with dark veins that should be distinct from the West Virginia White's pale, dusky appearance.
