Imported Cabbageworm
Imported Cabbageworm (Pieris rapae) prefers to feed on cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, kale, lettuce and weeds of the mustard family. In fact, this pest is one of the most damaging and destructive enemies of these plants. It is a widespread insect with populations spread throughout Europe, North Africa, Asia, Great Britain, and yes, North America, too. [It was accidentally introduced to North America around 1860.] The adult butterfly goes by the common name of Cabbage White, Small White or Small Cabbage White and belongs to the family of Lepidoptera called Pieridae (comprised of whites, sulphurs and yellows). The top surface of the adult’s wings are white, but the wing undersides are yellowish, as evident in the photos below.
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- Eggs of Imported Cabbageworm
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- Imported Cabbageworm (egg and larva)
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Imported Cabbageworm
(egg, larva, pupa and adult)
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- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) (male) (adult stage of the Imported Cabbageworm)
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- Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) (male) (central Maine; emerged indoors and photographed on 1/5/2023) (staff photo)
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- Another example of a Cabbage White butterfly with the yellow color of its wing undersides readily apparent
Additional Information:
- Imported Cabbageworm (UMaine Extension Pest Management Fact Sheet #5006)
- Imported Cabbageworm (University of Florida)
- Cabbage White (BugGuide.net)
- Photo example showing the white coloration of the upper wing (dorsal) surface (BugGuide.net)