Diet
The pine white butterfly eats the nectar of flowers including rabbitbrush and beebalm. The caterpillar eats the needles of various conifers including pines, Douglas-fir and true firs.
Life Cycle
The male white pine butterfly flies around trees looking for females. The female lays tiny green eggs in a row on a conifer needle. The caterpillars are dark green with white back and side stripes. They feed in groups when they are young and move apart when they are older. The caterpillars drop down to the base of the host tree on a silk thread when they are ready to pupate.
Behavior
The pine white butterfly is usually found fluttering up high among the conifer trees. Some people consider the pine white a forest pest because the caterpillars can sometimes defoliate conifer trees.
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