Cabbage White Butterfly

Pieris rapae

Cabbage White Butterfly ;

Cabbage White is the common name related to species of Genus Pieris.

This is a widely distributed butterfly.

Considered as agricultural pest; larvae feed on vegetable gardens and crops.

Overview:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Pieridae

Genus: Pieris

Species: rapae

Pieris rapae

Classification

Lepidoptera is the

Order of Butterfly

and Moths.

One of the five mega

diverse orders in

class insecta. 120

families described.

Lepidoptera species

number is not

possible, but

Order :

Lepidoptera

They have two pair of

membranous wings

covered with

overlapping scales.

Type of antenna is not

similar between

species.

Having a sucking tube

mouthpart in adult

stage, while chewing

Order : Lepidoptera

The type of

metamorphosi

s is

Holometabolo

us

Egg

Larva

Adult

Pupa

Lepidoptera

More than 1000 species in 75 genera have

been described.

Mostly white, yellow or orange in color. Pierids

display sexual dimorphism in color patterns.

This group is cosmopolitan

Family :

Pieridae

Several species have achieved important

agricultural pest status, particularly the

small cabbage white (Pieris rapae)

There may be more than one generation

per year. Females lay columnar eggs on

leaves, buds or stems. Usually they

overwinter as larvae or pupae.

Family : Pieridae

Cabbage destroy

Caterpillar on a vegetable

The two important species of this genus

are P. brassicae Large white and P. rapae

Small white butterfly.

These two species are distinguished by

their size, the black tips of their

forewing, also by color of their

caterpillar.

Two submarginal black spots in the

female and one in the male.

The adult typically lives about three

weeks in summer.

Many crucifers (Brassicaceae)

Pieris spp Characteristics

:

Egg Adul

t

Larva

e

Pup

a

Life Cycle

Egg:

Their Eggs are pale yellow,

bottle shaped and rigid.

Pieris rapae took about

twenty minutes to lay its

cluster of eggs on the

underside of some vegetable

leaves .

The number of eggs may also

be as large as 1,000.

:Egg:

Larvae are camouflaged

by coloration.

Bears pairs of prolegs,

there are five instars

Feeds on plants(Brassica

family-cabbage-)

Larval stage takes 17

days. And reaches 50mm

length.

Yellow spots are visible on

the sides of the instars.

Larvae:

The pupation stage

lasts around 11 days

The chrysalis is

about 18 to 20 mm in

length

Pupa stage lives over

the winter.

Having a rigid outer

shell.

Pupa:

Pieris rapae

Male Femal

e

Mating

Habitat is almost any type of open space,

including weedy areas, gardens,roadsides,

cities, and suburbs.

Female is active during the day, with slow

lumbering flight; male flies in a straight

line.

Smelling sense of the insect is very

specific, and in case of choice between

different cruciferous species and varieties,

The severity of cabbage white problems

can vary considerably from year to year

due to weather,

Habitat and

Behavior:

References:Books:

Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr., Larry S. Roberts, Allan

Larson (2002). Animal diversity 3rd edition

Grzimek’s animal life encyclopedia.— 2nd

edition.(2004)

Research articles:

* K. Jõgar, L. Metspalu, K. Hiiesaar, A. Ploomi, E.

Svilponis, A. Kuusik, (2009) Influence of white cabbage

cultivars on oviposition preference of the Pieris rapae

• Scott R. Smedley, Frank C. Schroeder, Douglas B.

Weibel (2002) . Labile defensive lipids from the glandular hairs

of a caterpillar (Pieris rapae)

Websites:

http://socalbutterflies.com//pieridae_html/pieris_rapae.

htm