The southern small white with a wingspan of around 4 centimeters is a rapidly expanding butterfly species originally native to southern and south-eastern Europe. Highly adaptable to urban and garden environments, it is known for its remarkable, ongoing spread across Europe.
The southern small white has been migrating northwest at a rate of over 100 km per year. It crossed the Alps into France and Germany around 2008 and successfully colonized areas further north and west. Recently, it has now been identified at the North Sea and in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Five or six generations of southern small whites are reproduced every year. This species can therefore quickly build up large populations in a newly settled area. It is very likely that the butterfly will expand further, provided that the plants it feeds on, such as arugula, are available.