Pieris brassicae

Lore & Background

The large white is common throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia to the Himalayas, often in agricultural areas, meadows, and parkland. Scattered reports from the northeastern United States over the past century are of a dubious nature, indicating either accidental transport or intentional release, threatening to establish this pest in North America. In 2010 the butterfly was found in Nelson, New Zealand, where it is known as the great white butterfly and classed as an unwanted pest.

Reader's Guide

Pieris brassicae is significant primarily as an agricultural pest, with larvae that feed voraciously on cruciferous crops such as cabbages, Brussels sprouts, and oil-seed rape. Its ability to migrate and establish populations in new regions has led to containment efforts, most notably in New Zealand, where a coordinated campaign involving public rewards, extensive searches, and biological control via predatory wasps achieved official eradication by December 2014. The butterfly's life cycle includes five larval instars, with the third instar causing significant damage. Females oviposit in clusters on leaf undersides, preferring plants containing mustard oil glucosides essential for larval survival. The species exhibits polyandry but is predominantly monogamous, producing two to three broods per year. Its migration patterns augment northern populations during summer. The large white's potential establishment in North America remains a concern due to its pest status.

Did You Know?

• The large white is also called the cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, or in India the large cabbage white.
• The large white was officially declared eradicated from New Zealand as of December 2014.
• Female large whites have two black spots on each forewing, while males have none.