Pieris rapae

The cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), also known as the cabbage butterfly and the imported cabbageworm, is so named because the larval stage feeds on members of the cabbage family (Cruciferae). This species is found around the world in temperate climates. It was introduced to North America in the 1860's and has since spread throughout the continent. The cabbage white butterfly is known to pollinate several species in the United States.

The cabbage white butterfly has a black body with white wings. The upper wings have a black band at the tip and a black spot in the center of each upper wing. Males have one spot on each wing and females have two. The underneath of the wings are yellowish-green. These butterflies have a wingspan of 30 to 50 mm. Caterpillars are green or bluish-green with a light yellow stripe.

Resident throughout North America with migrants north (Scott 1986). Habitats are TOWNS, SOME VALLEY BOTTOMS. Host plants are usually herbaceous including species from many families, including CRUCIFERAE. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There is a variable number of flights based on latitude each year with the approximate flight time JUN1-JUL1 in the northern part of the range and APR15-OCT15 in the southern part of their range (Scott 1986).

This widespread and familiar white butterfly is one of the most common butterflies in Europe (5). As the name suggests, adults have whitish upper wings. The forewings have black tips and the undersides of the wings are bright yellow, featuring blackish scales. Males and females are easy to distinguish, as females have two prominent black spots and a blackish streak on the forewing (2). The caterpillar has a green body with black spots and fine hairs. A thin yellowish line extends along the centre of the back and the spiracles are bordered with yellow (3).

The small white is typically a double-brooded species, with two generations each year. The eggs, which hatch after around one week, are laid in April and then again in June. The female deposits them singly on the underside of leaves of the foodplants (3). Cultivated brassicas such as cabbages and nasturtium are preferred, although wild brassicas including wild cabbage, hedge mustard and wild mignonette are also used (4). The caterpillars tend to feed on the hearts of cabbages, not on the outer leaves. They are solitary and are fully grown after one month. They then undergo pupation; the pupa is attached either to the foodplant or to fences and other structures. Adults emerge from the pupae of the first generation after roughly three weeks, but the pupae belonging to the second generation overwinter, with adults emerging the following spring. In years when the weather is particularly clement, a third brood may occasionally be produced (3).

This is the only species of white which has both unmarked hindwing undersides and at least one black spot on the forewing upperside and the leading edge of the hindwing upperside. Royal Alberta Museum page

Size: 46-55 mm. A small version of Pieris brassicae.

The Cabbage White was introduced from Europe to Quebec in the 1860's (Layberrry et al. 1998), and has since spread over all of North America with the exception of the Arctic and some of the extreme southern parts of the U.S. (Opler 1999).

61 records. Latest in 2006 (oases)

Widespread. AOO = 184 km2. EOO = 243,000 km2. 9 locations

Widespread (Palaearctic; introduced worldwide)

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Introduced into North America south of the Arctic. Rare in southern Florida and in southern Gulf states. Also occurs in Africa, Eurasia, and Japan.

The small white has a wide distribution in Britain, but it becomes scarce in the Scottish Highlands. The distribution of this species seems to have stayed fairly stable, however numbers are thought to have dropped following the introduction of insecticides in the 1950s (4). Elsewhere, this butterfly is found throughout Europe and north-west Africa, reaching Asia as far east as Japan (4).

Ubiquitous throughout the province, particularly near agricultural habitats.

Always associated with cultivation.

Comments: Mostly disturbed open areas but also invading natural situations. In wooded areas mostly in spring before the canopy closes but seems to be becoming more forest adapted as garlic mustard increases explosiovely in the East.

Found in a range of habitats, where the food plants (such as cabbage, nasturtium and related plants) occur (3). Typical habitats include fields, gardens, and waste land, although they are often found in smaller numbers in woodland edges, hedgerows and other sheltered places (4).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Larvae sometimes reach pest status on cultivated mustards such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and canola. A large number of Brassicaceae have been recorded as hosts, particularly introduced, weedy species (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

Host-plants: Cultivated brassicas (Cruciferae), especially cabbages; nasturtiums (Tropaeoleum majus) in gardens; wild crucifers and Reseda lutea (Resedaceae).

Pieris rapae Linnaeus: Pieridae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Graenicher, Wiggam & Ferguson, Betz et al., Hilty, Lewis, Catling, Larson & Barrett, Conger, and Willson & Bertin; this butterfly is the Cabbage White)

Acanthaceae: Justicia americana sn (Rb, Cng); Apiaceae: Sium suave sn (Rb); Asclepiadaceae: Asclepias incarnata [plpr sn] [plup sn] (Rb, Btz), Asclepias verticillata [plab sn] [plup sn fq] (Rb, WB); Asteraceae: Anthemis cotula sn (Gr), Arctium lappa sn (Gr), Arctium minus sn (Rb), Aster anomalus sn (Rb), Aster drummondii sn (Gr), Aster ericoides sn (Rb), Aster furcatus sn (Gr), Aster laevis sn (Gr), Aster lanceolatus sn (Rb, Gr), Aster lateriflorus sn (Gr), Aster novae-angliae sn (Gr), Aster pilosus sn (Rb, H), Aster prenanthoides sn (Gr), Aster puniceus sn (Gr), Bidens aristosa sn (Rb), Bidens bipinnata sn (Rb), Boltonia asterioides sn (Rb), Cirsium altissimum sn (Gr), Cirsium arvense sn (Gr), Coreopsis palmata sn (Rb), Echinacea purpurea sn (Rb), Eupatoriadelphus purpureus sn (Rb, Gr), Eupatorium perfoliatum sn (Gr), Eupatorium serotinum sn (Rb), Euthamia graminifolia sn (Gr), Helenium autumnale sn (Gr), Helianthus annuus sn (Rb), Helianthus giganteus sn (Gr), Helianthus strumosus sn (Gr), Leucanthemum vulgare sn (Lw), Liatris aspera sn (H), Liatris pycnostachya sn (Rb), Liatris spicata sn (Gr), Oligoneuron rigidum sn (H), Rudbeckia hirta sn (Rb), Silphium integrifolium sn (H), Silphium perfoliatum sn (Rb), Vernonia fasciculata sn (Rb); Boraginaceae: Buglossoides arvense sn (H), Lithospermum canescens sn (Rb); Brassicaceae: Barbarea vulgaris sn (H, Lw), Cardamine bulbosa sn (Rb); Campanulaceae: Lobelia spicata sn (Rb), Triodanis perfoliata sn (Rb, Lw); Caryophyllaceae: Stellaria media sn (Lw); Fabaceae: Crotalaria sagittalis sn np (Rb), Lotus corniculatus sn np (Lw), Trifolium pratense sn (Rb, Lw), Trifolium repens sn (Rb, Lw); Fumariaceae: Dicentra cucullata sn np (Rb); Lamiaceae: Agastache nepetoides sn (Rb), Blephilia ciliata sn (Rb), Blephilia hirsuta sn (Rb), Glechoma hederacea sn np (Rb), Mentha arvensis sn (Rb), Nepeta cataria sn (Rb), Prunella vulgaris sn (Rb, Lw), Pycnanthemum pilosum sn (H), Pycnanthemum tenuifolium sn (Rb), Scutellaria incana sn np (H), Teucrium canadense sn (Cng); Liliaceae: Allium cernuum sn (Gr), Erythronium albidum sn (Rb), Nothoscordum bivalve sn (Rb), Smilacina stellata sn (Gr), Tofieldia glutinosa sn (Gr); Lythraceae: Lythrum alatum sn (Rb); Malvaceae: Abutilon theophrastii sn (Rb), Hibiscus trionum sn (Rb), Malva neglecta sn (Rb), Sida spinosa sn fq (Rb); Melastomataceae: Rhexia virginica exp np (LBt); Orchidaceae: Spiranthes lacera sn np (Ct); Oxalidaceae: Oxalis corniculata sn (Rb), Oxalis stricta sn (Rb, Lw); Papaveraceae: Sanguinaria canadensis exp (Gr); Parnassiaceae: Parnassia glauca sn (Gr); Polemoniaceae: Phlox divaricata laphamii sn (WF); Polygonaceae: Fallopia scandens sn (Rb), Persicaria pensylvanica sn (Rb); Portulacaceae: Claytonia virginica sn (Rb); Rosaceae: Fragaria virginiana sn (Rb), Potentilla argentea sn (Lw), Potentilla recta sn (Lw); Rubiaceae: Cephalanthus occidentalis sn (Rb), Houstonia lanceolata sn (Rb); Scrophulariaceae: Agalinis tenuifolia sn np (Rb), Dasistoma macrophylla sn np (Rb), Linaria vulgaris sn np (Rb), Veronicastrum virginicum sn (Rb); Verbenaceae: Verbena stricta sn fq (Rb, H), Verbena urticifolia sn (Rb); Violaceae: Viola cucullata sn (Rb), Viola pedata sn (Rb)

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Compsilura concinnata is endoparasitoid of larva of Pieris rapae

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Epicampocera succincta is endoparasitoid of larva of Pieris rapae

Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Phryxe vulgaris is endoparasitoid of larva of Pieris rapae

Foodplant / internal feeder
caterpillar of Pieris rapae feeds within live heart of Brassica oleracea var. capitata

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Adults feed mainly from nectar and mud. Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Occurs in multiple generations from April into September.

Like other Pieris species, the eggs are yellow and conical, with longitudinal ridges. Mature larvae are green with a pale dorsal stripe, and pupae range in colour from brown to green (Guppy & Shepard 2001). The first Cabbage Whites usually emerge in late April from hibernating pupae. There are usually three generations per year in Alberta (Bird et al. 1995). Up to four occur in southern BC, with development time of each generation varying from 4 to 8 weeks according to temperature (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

March-October

Two or more generations per year.

These butterflies are one of the first to be seen in the spring and one of the last to be seen in the fall. These butterflies can fly from February to mid-November; they have a shorter season in their northern range and a longer season in the south. Females produce between 300 and 400 eggs; each is laid singly on the underside of host plants. Caterpillars hatch and feed on plants from the cabbage family (Brassicaceae). They then molt five times before turning into a chrysalis. Chrysalids hibernate and hatch into adult butterflies. Adults live about three weeks. Cabbage white butterflies have between two and eight generations per year.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 127
Specimens with Barcodes: 342
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 115 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Not of concern.

Resident and migrant

Least Concern

Abundant

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Not threatened (4).

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

This species is not threatened.

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Needs: None, widespread common economic pest.

Not relevant.

Recent research has shown that it is actually four times more efficient at pollinating wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) than honey bees (Apis mellifera) because honey bees are foraging for both pollen and nectar and most likely groom away pollen from their bodies. In addition to wild radish, cabbage white butterflies are pollinators of red clover (Trifolium pratense), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), buttonbush (Cephalanthus spp.), bird's-foot violet (Viola pedata), and wild strawberry (Rosaceae).

In addition to being pollinators, this species can be considered a pest because the larvae feed on the foliage of crop plants like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard, horseradish, kale, and kohlrabi. Larvae of this species have the ability to reduce mature plants to stems and large veins by eating foliage. Larvae have also been known to burrow into the heads of broccoli and cabbage; they are difficult to dislodge and produce large amounts of fecal material.

Pest of brassica crop