Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Real Men Sow
Rai The Cabbage White Butterfly mostly affects all vegetables of the cabbage family. They’re most likely seen in cool and moist climates. Both large and small white butterflies are predominantly white with small black markings on the wings. However, Males and females have different markings.
How To Identify Cabbage White Butterfly
Large white butterflies lay eggs in yellow batches and the eggs of small white butterflies are usually laid singly and are pale yellow. The small white butterflies have solitary larvae. They are green with tiny yellow lines and appear velvety. The large white larvae feed in groups, and their larvae are yellowy-green with black speckles. Their backs are yellow. The pupae are found often under shed roofs or windowsills.
Is Cabbage White Butterfly Harmful?
The adult butterflies are harmless to plants. Small brassica plants can be severely damaged by large white larvae (yellow- and black-patterned caterpillars). If left untreated, large infestations can defoliate entire brassica crops. The small white caterpillars (or green larvae) feed alone and burrow into the head, contaminating the leaves with excrement and creating brassicas.
How To Prevent Cabbage White Butterfly
If you have problems with cabbage white caterpillars, you can use netting as an effective way to stop them from laying eggs. To provide nectar for beneficial insects such as garden wasps, parasitic wasps, and bird-eating birds, plant lots of flowers and blooming plants around your cabbage patch. You can check for white butterfly eggs on any outer leaves and then remove them by hand.
Managing Outbreaks
Regularly inspect plants for caterpillar excrement and holes in the leaves. To remove caterpillars, you can either use a hose or hand to pull them off. You can purchase organic pyrethrum-based products from garden centers as an alternative to spraying. Make sure you follow the label instructions, safety warnings, and harvest intervals of these products.
Tips For Cabbage White Butterflies
Planting nasturtiums close to a netted brassica crop will attract cabbage butterflies away from the crop to lay their eggs. You can manage and control caterpillars through this. Raise the netting above the brassica leaves to prevent butterflies laying their eggs through the holes. The mesh size also needs to be small enough to prevent butterflies from crawling through.
