Cabbage Butterfly: simple beauty, resilient, & adaptive.
Cabbage Butterfly: simple beauty, resilient, & adaptive.
The ubiquitous Cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) remains
one of the best known and most often encountered butterflies.
Though, simple in appearance in lacking the "flash" or attractive
designs of most other butterflies; it still captures attention for
its presence.
Butterflies are loved by everyone and even people who rarely
see much of anything else in their flower garden appreciate
these fluttering white flower petals.
The species ranges over most of the northern hemisphere. As a
native of Europe it was accidentally introduced into Quebec, Canada
about 1860. From there it spread rapidly, and by 1881 it covered the
eastern half of the continent. Only 2 scant years later the first
specimen was found in California.
The success of the species here lies partially in that its larvae like
a lot of what we grow for ourselves. Favorite food plants are cabbage,
cauliflower, broccoli and other plants belonging to the mustard
family. Another favorite are nasturtium leaves. It is also a hearty
species; able to withstand the long demanding winters (as a chrysalis)
that the U.S./Canada have to offer.
It is one of the !st butterflies to emerge in spring. I have personally
recorded a specimen flying about my backyard (as early as Apr.01.2010);
while my (latest) sighting was (Oct.31.2014). Here in Illinois we probably
see 4 - 5 broods every year between those dates....
When I do see one of these early spring fellows it harkens me back
to my childhood when it was THIS species which I first saw in my fathers
flower garden. Its delicate, fluttering presence bobbing back and forth
amongst the blossoms and captivating my interest !
My early capture (this year) dates from (Apr.11.2023/11:57AM); although
my first sighting this year was on April 8th.
Although, the Cabbage butterfly is regarded as a pest species its presence
at the flower garden still brings a smile to many an older lady as well as
giggles/wonderment to children who first experiance them.
one of the best known and most often encountered butterflies.
Though, simple in appearance in lacking the "flash" or attractive
designs of most other butterflies; it still captures attention for
its presence.
Butterflies are loved by everyone and even people who rarely
see much of anything else in their flower garden appreciate
these fluttering white flower petals.
The species ranges over most of the northern hemisphere. As a
native of Europe it was accidentally introduced into Quebec, Canada
about 1860. From there it spread rapidly, and by 1881 it covered the
eastern half of the continent. Only 2 scant years later the first
specimen was found in California.
The success of the species here lies partially in that its larvae like
a lot of what we grow for ourselves. Favorite food plants are cabbage,
cauliflower, broccoli and other plants belonging to the mustard
family. Another favorite are nasturtium leaves. It is also a hearty
species; able to withstand the long demanding winters (as a chrysalis)
that the U.S./Canada have to offer.
It is one of the !st butterflies to emerge in spring. I have personally
recorded a specimen flying about my backyard (as early as Apr.01.2010);
while my (latest) sighting was (Oct.31.2014). Here in Illinois we probably
see 4 - 5 broods every year between those dates....
When I do see one of these early spring fellows it harkens me back
to my childhood when it was THIS species which I first saw in my fathers
flower garden. Its delicate, fluttering presence bobbing back and forth
amongst the blossoms and captivating my interest !
My early capture (this year) dates from (Apr.11.2023/11:57AM); although
my first sighting this year was on April 8th.
Although, the Cabbage butterfly is regarded as a pest species its presence
at the flower garden still brings a smile to many an older lady as well as
giggles/wonderment to children who first experiance them.
- adamcotton
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- kevinkk
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Re: Cabbage Butterfly: simple beauty, resilient, & adaptive.
Cabbage whites are the sign of warm weather and always the first butterfly I see in the spring, and the last in the fall. They do like nasturtiums, just a couple years ago, I found my first rapae larva on the nasturtiums. It wasn't too long ago I saw the first one flying around here, maybe a few weeks.
Even the common ones are nice to see.
Even the common ones are nice to see.
Re: Cabbage Butterfly: simple beauty, resilient, & adaptive.
Indeed kevinkk,
For many people cabbage butterflies are the harbingers of warm weather, fair skies, and better days. Their appearance and presence bring smiles to many; especially to those who see so few other butterflies in any given season !
My primary reason for cobbling up this thread was to show appreciation for even the simple, common, and underappreciated that "color" our world.
For many people cabbage butterflies are the harbingers of warm weather, fair skies, and better days. Their appearance and presence bring smiles to many; especially to those who see so few other butterflies in any given season !
My primary reason for cobbling up this thread was to show appreciation for even the simple, common, and underappreciated that "color" our world.
Re: Cabbage Butterfly: simple beauty, resilient, & adaptive.
I can't help but notice the morphological similarity between the Cabbage White and Aphrissa statira, which is a member of the Sulphur family and has a more southerly range in the USA (native to S. Texas & S. Florida). Does anybody know how closely (or distantly) the 2 species are related?
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