Common cabbage butterfly

© 2016 JADAM All Rights Reserved common cabbage butterfly larva

Common cabbage butterfly

Lepidoptera Pieridae
 
О Scientific name: Pieris rapae (Linnaeus)
О English name : common cabbage butterfly
О Size : Body length is 20mm, and wingspan is 50~60mm
О Hosts : White radish, Chinese cabbage, Kale, Variable leaf yellow cress, and crucifer
О Distribution : Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Europe, North America, New Zealand and more.
 

© 2016 JADAM All Rights Reserved  common cabbage butterfly adult

Female common cabbage butterfly is white and its body length is 20 mm. If they spread their wings, its length is around 50~60 mm.
There are two black dots on front wings and one dot on back side wings. Not only the male's body is thinner than the female's body, but the size of the dot is also smaller and lighter than the female's.
Spring common cabbage butterfly is brighter and bigger than summer one. The all grown larva is 30 mm and green. Its body is covered with fuzz. 
 

© 2016 JADAM All Rights Reserved young common cabbage butterfly larva † this photo was taken from variable leaf yellow cress

There might be serious damage to young cabbages. However, common cabbage butterflies do not appear occasionally. It appears 4 to 5 times a year and passes over the coldest season as a pupa on plant body, wall, and eaves. When the larva becomes an adult in early spring, it starts to spawn on the backside of leaves of white radish, cabbage, and wild crucifer. Common cabbage butterfly generates repeatedly during fall on white radish and Chinese cabbage. Therefore, you can see all the stages of insect from spring to fall. The damage is worse in spring and less in hot summer and raining season. However, it will again start to harm crops from fall. Common cabbage butterfly lays eggs one by one and the adult is active during the day. 

 

© 2016 JADAM All Rights Reserved damaged white radish by common cabbage butterfly larva

 Translated by Sunyoung Cho