Small White abberation?

[Stevieb]

I Photographed this Small White in the garden today.

It doesn't seem to have any postdiscal spots.

I can't identify it on the aberrations pages. Any ideas please?

Small White 14 April

Small White 14 April

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Stevie - I'll stick my neck out and suggest that this is a male Green-veined White with massively reduced markings.

I'd be interested to hear what others think!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Stevieb]

Thanks for the quick reply Pete

[bugboy]

Gonna stick my neck on the line and disagree with Pete , looks like a male Small white to me. Both GVW and SW have reduced markings in the spring brood and its not unusual to see them missing the spots. Here's my first Small White of 2020 also missing the spot

Edit: and for comparison here's a GVW from yesterday

[Padfield]

It's a rare occasion when I disagree with Pete, but in this instance, like Buggy, I do. I would say with very high confidence that this is a male small white.

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Then you are clearly both wrong

Like everyone else, I am here to learn, and have learned a lot over the last (almost) 2 decades!

So ... I was basing my initial thinking on the 'wrinkles' (not sure what else to call them) of the wings (given that there are no substantial markings to go on). Unless I'm imaging it, Green-veined White seems to exhibit more 'wrinkling' than Small White and, again, I'd be interested to hear what others think, so that I can be proven incorrect twice in one day

Cheers,

- Pete

[bugboy]

I know what you mean Pete. I've just been comparing my two images and I've concluded the more wrinkled look is something of an optical illusion brought about by the more obvious wing venation on GVW.....?

[Padfield]

In my experience of green-veined white, the apical dark patch always extends in broken form - as little grey triangles - down the outer margin at least as far as it extends along the costa (and usually further). In small white it always extends further along the costa. Buggie's picture shows the grey triangles perfectly. I find this extended, broken apex a useful distinguishing feature in all broods and states of wear.

Guy

[Wurzel]

I use the fact that the Green-veined White has the trailing triangles like Guy does to distinguish between it and Small - it's worked for a few on Facebook recently

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pete Eeles]

Indeed - and that's what I used when I looked at the first photo, where I convinced myself that there were some dark scales on the left wing below the more obvious set

Cheers,

- Pete

[petesmith]

Hmmm...this is a high calibre debate!

I am very much with the Small White crew on this one...
really struggling to see this as G-V-White.

[David M]

I'm the same. If this is a Green Veined White, I've certainly never seen anything like it.

[bugboy]

I Photographed this Small White in the garden today.

Don't suppose you happened to get a view of the underside Stevieb did you?

[Vince Massimo]

I've just seen this topic and if it's not too late to join in, then I would go strongly for Small white, for the reasons given by others, but I can see why Pete went for GVW. It was also my first impression when I saw the images.

Vince

[Stevieb]

Don't suppose you happened to get a view of the underside Stevieb did you?

Unfortunately not. I guess that would have made it too easy

Not sure if it helps but this Small White was taken at the same time, at the same place so in the same light conditions.

Small White 14 April

[Medard]

Despite large numbers of Small whites in my garden last year , they reduced our Cabbage plants to stumps, oh well , our contribution to nature was my wife's comment, this is the only one I've seen this year

[Medard]

After hours sat waiting my manic Small White finally came in for a pit stop this afternoon.