The West Virginia White is a small, dusky white butterfly commonly found in the wooded habitats of the northeastern United States. The upperside of the wings features soft gray scaling along the edges and at the base, with females typically showing slightly more gray than males. The underside of the hindwings is delicately shaded with gray along the veins. While the amount of gray can vary, females often appear noticeably darker than males.

 

“West Virginia White” by Cathie Bird, licensed by (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

West Virginia White Facts

Butterfly Family: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Pierinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/4 – 2 1/8 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Moist deciduous woodlands or mixed woods

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Broadleaf Toothwort (Cardamine diphylla)

• Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult West Virginia White butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

• Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

• Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

• Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)

• Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

• Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)

• Toothwort (Cardamine spp.)

• Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)

• Violets (Viola spp.)