Cabbage white butterfly
Pieris brassicae
Order Lepidoptera, Family Pieridae
Host plants
The cabbage white butterfly is distributed throughout Europe. Adults fly from May to August, and in southern regions from late March to mid-October. The forewings are white with dark tips at the apex, and the wingspan is 55–60 mm.
The cabbage white butterfly inhabits large open areas, as well as farms and vegetable gardens. Preferred resting sites include walls, fences, tree trunks, and often the plants themselves.
Preferred host plants include cruciferous crops, oilseed rape, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Adults require additional nectar feeding before egg-laying. The larvae are capable of migrating over long distances in search of food, colonizing nearby areas.
Life cycle
Reproduction
Two generations of butterflies develop each year. The first generation consists of adults that emerge in spring, around April. The second generation is
composed of adults that emerge around July. Occasionally, a third generation may be observed later in the summer if the weather is sufficiently warm.
The average fecundity is 150 eggs, with a maximum of up to 300 eggs.
Egg laying
Eggs are laid in batches on the underside of leaves. They develop over a period of 4 to 16 days. Female cabbage white butterflies lay eggs approximately 6 to 7 times within 8 days. They can mate again about five or more days after the previous mating.
Female cabbage white butterflies rely on visual cues, such as plant color, to decide where to lay their eggs. They prefer green surfaces.
A few hours before hatching, the eggs turn black, the shell becomes more transparent, and the larvae can be seen inside.
Larva
The larvae hatch approximately one week after the eggs are laid and live for some time as a group. The hatching period lasts about two to seven hours. During hatching, they cause significant damage to the host plant by feeding and destroying it. During cooler parts of the day, they may appear inactive, as if dormant.
The larvae are cylindrical, robust, and elongated in their final instar, yellow in color with bright markings on the abdomen and thorax. They have a gray-black head. This stage requires maximum quality and quantity of food to support full development; otherwise, the larva dies before reaching adulthood.
Older larvae feed voraciously on the leaves, leaving only the thicker veins. Larval development lasts from 13 to 38 days, depending on temperature, and they reach a length of 50 to 60 mm in the final (fifth) instar.
The butterfly exhibits clear sexual dimorphism. The body length is 13–15 mm. The male is darker in color (gray-brown) and has a wingspan of 22–26 mm.
The female is light yellow to light brown, with two transverse broken brown bands on the forewings. The wingspan reaches 27–32 mm.
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