Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Cabbage White is a small white butterfly often seen in U.S. vegetable gardens. It arrived in North America from Europe in the 1800s and spread widely. Its green caterpillar, the imported cabbageworm, feeds on cabbage, kale, and broccoli.

Appearance

Appearance: White wings with dark gray wingtips, spanning about 1¼–1¾ in (3–4.5 cm). Females have two black spots on each forewing, while males have one.

Look-alikes

Checkered WhitePontia protodice

Female Checkered Whites have many dark marks across the wings, while Cabbage Whites mainly show a dark forewing tip and one or two dark spots. Some males are harder to separate in a quick photo.

Why they get mixed upBoth are small white butterflies in open places.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: vegetable gardens
fields
roadsides
urban lawns
Range: Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is introduced in North America and now lives throughout much of the continent.
Preferred conditions: Prefers open, sunny places such as fields, roadsides, gardens, and lawns. In early spring, before trees leaf out, it sometimes wanders into light woods.
When it’s recorded: Recorded year-round, every year · most records in Jun–Aug
Active Mar–Oct
60,251 observations in the US · 10 years · for referenceChoose a state

Behavior

Diet: Adults sip flower nectar. Caterpillars eat plants in the , both wild ones and crops like cabbage, kale, broccoli, and radish.
Activity: Adults fly from early spring until fall frosts, with several overlapping generations.
Overwintering: It usually spends the winter as a (pupa).

Life cycle

Larva: The caterpillar is bluish green with thin yellow stripes. It is known as the imported cabbageworm.
Caterpillar food plants: Mustard-family plants, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, radish, and many wild mustards.

Name and classification

About the name: In the US, this species is usually called Cabbage White; in Britain, it is often called Small White.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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