Pieris rapae
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Pieris rapae is a small-to-medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known in Europe as the small white, in North America and the United Kingdom as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly, on several continents as the small cabbage white, and in New Zealand as the white butterfly. The butterfly is recognizable by its white color with small black dots on its wings, and it can be distinguished from P. brassicae by the latter's larger size and black band at the tip of the forewings.
The caterpillar of this species, often referred to as the "imported cabbageworm", is a pest to crucifer crops such as cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. Pieris rapae is widespread in Europe and Asia; it is believed to have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Europe and to have spread across Eurasia thanks to the diversification of brassicaceous crops and the development of human trade routes.
In appearance it looks like a smaller version of the large... Wikipedia →
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small White sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 144 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to August
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Small White in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small White sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 50 parks where we can rate Small White sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 30%) and Kosciuszko National Park (Australia, about 30%).
Same family: Pieridae
The closest relatives of the Small White that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (family Pieridae, Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs) are Sleepy Orange (about 10%), Orange Sulphur (about 10%) and Clouded Sulphur (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small White is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (144 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
