The large white is common throughout Europe, north Africa, and Asia to the Himalayas often in agricultural areas, meadows and parkland.

[1][2] The large white is a strong flier and the British population has been reinforced in most years by migrations from the continent.

Scattered reports of the large white from the north-eastern United States (New York, Rhode Island and Maine) over the past century are of a dubious nature and indicate either accidental transport or intentional release.

[4] For a limited period in October 2013 the Department of Conservation offered a monetary reward for the capture of the butterfly.

[6] As a result of this and other containment measures, such as over 263,000 searches in the upper South Island and the release of predatory wasps, the large white was officially declared to be eradicated from New Zealand as of December 2014.

This instar requires maximum food quality and quantity in order to aid in full development, otherwise the larva dies before becoming an adult butterfly.

They primarily hover around these locations, which should contain both wild and cultivated crucifer, as well as oil-seed rape, cabbages, and Brussels sprouts.

[18] Females tend to use their forelegs to drum on the surfaces of their intended leaves as a test of the plant's suitability for breeding.

This colour preference could be due to the fact that the large white's food source also acts as a host plant for oviposition.

These plants, used as oviposition sites, typically contain mustard oil glucosides, whose primary function is to help the larvae survive as their essential food source.

[17][21] For instance, previous studies have shown that the large white larvae do not survive if the adult butterflies oviposit on a different host plant such as broad bean (Vicia faba) because this bean does not contain the proper nutrients to aid larval development.

[17] The large white eggs hatch approximately one week after being laid and live as a group for some time.

The northern populations tend to be augmented during the summer migration season from butterflies from southern areas.

The large whites fly starting early spring, and keep migrating until seasons shift to autumn and the resultant cold weather.

It has been suggested that this could be a reason why there is no observed significant sexual dimorphism between the male and female large white butterflies.

The large white butterflies, then, are shown to rely on the species of food plants, the time of experience, and the choice-situation.

Thus, the large white butterflies learn what types of foods they prefer, rather than relying on their sense organs or physiological changes.

[17] Plants with mustard-oil glucosides are important for this butterfly because it dictates their eating behaviours,[21] and resultant survival rates, as specified in the section regarding oviposition.

In addition to predator protection, these glucosides belong to a class of stimuli that produce the biting responses associated with eating.

Some plants contain alkaloids and steroids; these reduce and inhibit the butterflies' responsiveness to mustard oil glucosides.

Thus, this utilization of mustard oil glucosides dramatically affects the behaviour of the butterfly, and the resulting food selection for survival.

This aposematic colouration occurs in the larval, pupal, and imago stages, where toxic mustard oil glycosides from food plants are stored in the individuals' bodies.

In addition, because of its strong inclination to migrate, adults may infest new areas that were previously free from attack.

In present-day areas such as Great Britain, P. brassicae are now less threatening as pests because of natural and chemical control reasons.