( Pieris rapae )
PHOTO COMMENT
(Linnaeus ,1758 )
LOCATION DETAILS
RECOGNITION
BIOLOGY
CREDITS
Jim Ryugo
Park Maintenance, City of Oakland
References
| Cabbage Butterfly ( Pieris rapae ) | |
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PHOTO COMMENT | |
| IDENTIFICATION | |
| Identification: | Pieris rapae (Linnaeus ,1758 ) |
| Common Name: | Cabbage Butterfly |
| Life Stage: | (A) adult |
| PHYLOGENY | |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Superorder: | Holometabola |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Subfamily: | Pierinae |
| Tribe: | Pierini |
| Genus: | Pieris |
| Taxon Code: | LEP00167 |
| ITIS/TSN: | 188541 |
LOCATION DETAILS | |
| Location Name | |
| Gardens at Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue, Oakland | |
| County: | Alameda County |
| ECI Site#: | CA01100110 |
RECOGNITION | |
| Description | |
| Best distinguished from other whites by the black spots on the upperside of the forewing, and the yellow hindwing below. Adult: upperside of wings white or pale yellowish-white with black tip on forewing; upperside of female forewing has two black spots; male has one. Both sexes have one black spot well out along front margin on upperside of hindwing. Underside of forewing white with yellowish apex and two black discal spots in both sexes; underside of hindwing uniformly pale yellow in both sexes. Larva: green or bluish-green with thin yellow dorsal line (sometimes faint or absent) and lateral line composed of pairs of yellow spots, the anterior spot of each pair with a black central dot; body covered with short fine hair. | |
| Wingspan | |
| 30-50 mm. | |
| Body Length | |
| Larva: Up to 35 mm | |
| Child Taxa | |
| whites | |
BIOLOGY | |
| Food | |
| Caterpillars eat cabbage and many other crucifers and related plants. Adults nectar from a very wide array of plants, including mustard, dandelion, red clover, aster, and mint. | |
| Habitat | |
| All habitats, including bogs, meadows, woods, and backyard gardens. Prefers open spaces but may also be found in treed areas, as noted above. | |
| Range | |
| Throughout North America and many parts of the world. | |
| Flight Period | |
| Adults fly from early spring to September; shorter season farther north, and longer season farther south. | |
| Development | |
| Females lay single eggs on undersides of host leaves. Overwinters as a pupa inside a chrysalis attached to some substrate. Two or three generations per year in southern Canada; up to several generations in the southern states. | |
CREDITS | |
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Photographer Jim Ryugo Park Maintenance, City of Oakland | |
References | |
| Species Pieris rapae - Cabbage White - Hodges#4197. (http://bugguide.net/node/view/3259). Accessed March 12, 2016. . | |
| ITIS. | |
