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Project Noah Nature School
Leptidea sinapis
The female lays her eggs on various members of the pea family in late May and June, most commonly Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, bitter vetch Lathyrus linifolius, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca and Birds-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus. The larvae are green and well camouflaged on their foodplant. Pupation takes place at the end of July in surrounding scrub and it is this stage which overwinters. Adults have the upperside white with greyish tips to the forewings but they never settle with their wings open. The underside is a pale greyish green and serves as a good camouflage when settled. It has one main flight period in a season, late may to June but in warm summers a partial second shorter one occurs in August.
It is found in Europe and eastwards across the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Middle Asia, Kazakhstan and South Siberia to the Baikal region.
Spotted on Jul 15, 2013
Submitted on Jul 18, 2013
