Wood White
CR

Wood White

Leptidea sinapis

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptidea_sinapis

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Wood White faces severe population declines across its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized woodland environments. Climate change and intensive land management practices have further reduced the availability of suitable breeding sites and larval host plants, pushing this delicate butterfly species toward extinction.

Threat summary

Habitat

Wood Whites inhabit deciduous and mixed woodlands, particularly favoring woodland edges, clearings, and rides with abundant flowering plants. They require areas with their specific larval host plants from the pea family (Fabaceae) such as meadow vetchling and bird's-foot trefoil in semi-shaded woodland environments.

Other threatened species in Pieridae

EN

Catasticta revancha

Unknown
Southern Small WhiteVU

Southern Small White

Pieris mannii

Unknown
Krueper's Small WhiteVU

Krueper's Small White

Pieris krueperi

Unknown
Small Bath WhiteVU

Small Bath White

Pontia chloridice

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Wood White classified as Critically Endangered?
Wood White is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Wood White faces severe population declines across its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized woodland environments. Climate change and intensive land management practices have further reduced the availability of suitable breeding sites and larval host plants, pushing this delicate butterfly species toward extinction.
Where does Wood White live?
Wood White occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Wood White?
The main threats to Wood White are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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