PIERIS RAPAE
Cabbage white butterfly

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PIERIS RAPAE
Cabbage white butterfly

Pieris rapae is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known in Europe as the small white, in North America as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly, on several continents as the small cabbage white, and in New Zealand as the white butterfly. The butterfly is recognizable by its white color with small black dots on its wings, and it can be distinguished from P. brassicae by the smaller size and lack of the black band at the tip of their forewings.

The caterpillar of this species, often referred to as the imported cabbageworm, is a pest to crucifer crops such as cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. Pieris rapae is widespread in Europe and Asia; it is believed to have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Europe, and to have spread across Eurasia thanks to the diversification of brassicaceous crops and the development of human trade routes. Over the past two centuries, it spread to North Africa, North America, New Zealand, and Australia, as a result of accidental introductions.

The species has a natural range across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It was accidentally introduced to Quebec, Canada, around 1860 and spread rapidly throughout North America. The species has spread to all North American life zones from Lower Austral/Lower Sonoran to Canada.

In Britain, it has two flight periods, April-May and July-August, but is continuously brooded in North America, being one of the first butterflies to emerge from the chrysalis in the spring and flying until hard freeze in the fall.

P. rapae is known to lay eggs singularly on the host plant. The egg is characterized by a yellowish color and 12 longitudinal ridges.Estimates show that a single female of this species might be the progenitor in a few generations of millions.

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International Common Names

English: cabbage butterfly; cabbage white (England); common cabbage worm; common white; imported cabbageworm; rape white butterfly; small cabbage white; small garden white; small white butterfly

Spanish: blanquita de la col; gusano de las hojas de hortaliza; mariposa blanca de la col; mariposa pequena de la col; mariposita blanca de la col (mexico)

French: chenille du choux; petit, papillon, blanc du chou; pieride de la rave; pieride du chou; pieride du chou