Aporia crataegi or the black-veined white butterfly

White butterfly with delicate black veins, this is the Aporia crataegi, also known as the “black-veined white”. Its single annual generation of butterflies flies from April-May to July-August. This photograph shows a coupling of this butterfly, once very common in France. This butterfly is threatened and has been in massive decline for several years.
- The growth of intensive agriculture has led to the gradual disappearance of its breeding habitats.
- The use of pesticides has been very harmful.
- Hedgerows have been uprooted, eliminating the plants on which the caterpillars feed.
The black-veined white is still relatively common in mountainous areas, particularly at altitudes above 800 metres where extensive agriculture is more widespread.