How to identify it
- Adults have a 1.75- to 2-inch wingspan and are white with black markings, closely resembling the cabbage butterfly; females have a yellow cast to the forewings.[1]
- Caterpillars are dark green with white side stripes and a black head.[1]
- Females lay emerald green eggs along needles tilted at a 45-degree angle.[1]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Cabbage white butterfly | The adults look very similar; the pine white's dark green, white-striped caterpillars feed on pine needles.[1] |
Where it lives
Ponderosa pine is its preferred host and it's common on western white pine; larvae have caused significant defoliation in eastern Washington pine forests.[1]
Biology and life cycle
Eggs overwinter on needles in the upper canopy, and larvae hatch in late spring to feed on the new needles.[1]
Young larvae feed in clusters on older needles; older larvae feed in smaller groups or alone.[1]
They pupate in a chrysalis hung by silk in the tree or plants below, and adults fly in mid- to late summer, often around Douglas-fir too.[1]
Damage and signs
- They cause relatively little damage except in severe outbreaks, and because they feed high in the canopy, damage is rarely noticed.[1]
Health risk
It feeds on plants; the PNW Insect Management Handbook mentions no risk to people.[1]
Control
Traps and physical control
On small trees, pick off the larvae; on large trees, cultural controls aren't practical because the larvae feed in the treetops.[1]
Biological control
Many parasites of moths and butterflies keep numbers low, and crown-feeding birds presumably eat them as well.[1]
Common questions
Sources
- Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (OSU, WSU, University of Idaho), “Pine (Pinus): Pine white butterfly (Insect Management Handbook).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/pine-pinus-pine-white-butterfly (accessed 2026-10-06)
- iNaturalist, “Neophasia menapia taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/81734 (accessed 2026-10-06)