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white butterfly or moth

(@dougtamjj)
Posts: 2596
Famed Member
Topic starter
 

The beautiful little white butterflies. Are they moths are butterflies? This is of the upmost importance to my family right now. If any one knows the answer it will be very helpful.

Thanks

Tam

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 1:56 am
cricutmaker reacted
(@animaljosh)
Posts: 18
Active Member
 

Check out the antennae. If they are sorta feathery it's a moth...if they are thin with a rounded tip its a butterfly.
Check out the body . If it is sorta fat and fluffy looking it'sa moth. If it is slender and smooth it's a butterfly.
When at rest, do they hold the wings straight up ? If so, it is probably a butterfly.
Most moths are nocturnal, so if they are active in the day, it is probably a butterfly.

I noticed some smallish white butterflies while I was on STX recently. I believe they were members of the Pieridae family, but bees are my concentration, so don't quote me on that. It's just residual info from some entomology course, and I might have failed that test !!!!

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 2:24 am
(@Linda_J)
Posts: 3919
Famed Member
 

They are butterfliles. We call them Cruzan snow.

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 2:45 am
jaldeborgh reacted
(@animaljosh)
Posts: 18
Active Member
 

this look like em? If so, it is in the Pieridae family. Commonly called Cabbage or Cabbage White butterflies.
Theres a whole lota bugs in this world, so don't get too frustrated if you can't figure out exactly which one it is.

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 2:48 am
(@islandtyme)
Posts: 878
Prominent Member
 

Buttermoth......there Tam its settled.........lol.

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 12:24 pm
(@heepajeep)
Posts: 151
Estimable Member
 

question............are all naked (not fuzzy) caterpillars butterfly's in the making?
And all fuzzy ones are moth's to be?

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 1:51 pm
Bombi
(@Bombi)
Posts: 2104
Noble Member
 

The seem to be attracted to a certain bush, I don't know the name but they flutter around it all day regardless of the wind.

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 2:05 pm
(@animaljosh)
Posts: 18
Active Member
 

Unfortunately no, the larval forms (caterpillar) do not follow such easy rules. Regardless of adult form they come in all different shapes and sizes. Here is a link to a good site on caterpillar identification. It may not be relevant with STX species, but it gives an idea.....

http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/

 
Posted : September 30, 2008 2:56 pm
cricutmaker reacted
(@SunshineCruzan)
Posts: 215
Estimable Member
 

We used to call something like these the "Gypsy Moth" in New England. They would appear all of a sudden en-masse and a few days later all of our cabbage/broccoli/cauliflower....type veggies would be swarming with these green caterpillars from them. Pain in the *** but SOOO pretty.

 
Posted : October 2, 2008 3:02 am
(@babayoga)
Posts: 0
New Member
 

The cabbage white butterfly is a common pest in gardens. The butterfly is small with a wingspan of only about an inch. The upper side of the wings is white with black spots, while the undersides are pale yellow with black and brown markings. Females have two black spots on their hindwings, while males have only one.

 
Posted : December 26, 2022 11:00 am
(@northsidekevin)
Posts: 96
Trusted Member
 

@SunshineCruzan Gypsy moths are another thing altogether that invaded New England decades ago.  They did a lot of tree damage.  They can get rather large and have white/grey/black mottling.  

Cabbage butterflies are the little yellow/white butterflies you see all over New England.  

 
Posted : December 28, 2022 10:37 am
(@islandjoan)
Posts: 1798
Noble Member
 

@babayoga They are not cabbage white butterflies. The ones here don't have spots. The ones here are Great Southern Whites. They were plentiful until last week. Now I see them more sporadically.

Here is an excellent article. https://stjohntradewinds.com/butterfly-bloom/

 
Posted : December 29, 2022 11:42 am
(@Scubadoo)
Posts: 2437
Noble Member
 

We had quite the invasion of the white butterflies on our STX property several weeks back for a spell.  Haven't seen them lately.

 
Posted : December 29, 2022 9:48 pm
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