Most pierids are predominately white, yellow, or orange.
Their eggs are spindle or vase-shaped and are generally laid singly on the foodplants. Caterpillars tend to be green and cylindrical and are covered with very short hair. Whites feed on crucifers and Sulphurs feed on legumes, although other host plants include conifers, mistletoes, and willows. Pierids pupate in an upright position, attached by a cremaster at the bottom and a silken girdle around the middle. Adults have six fully developed and functional legs, with strongly forked claws on their feet, which they use to crawl over earth and flowers during frequent stops to drink.