Insect · GBIF taxon 1920496
Small White
Pieris rapaeAlso known as Cabbage White, Cabbage Butterfly, Small Cabbage White, White Butterfly
Small Whites flutter through gardens, fields, and urban parks on powdery white wings marked with charcoal tips and subtle black spots. Caterpillars feed voraciously on cultivated cabbages, kale, and wild mustards, earning this butterfly a reputation as a widespread agricultural pest. Native to Eurasia, these adaptable insects have successfully colonized nearly every temperate continent across the globe.
PollinatorDiurnalCommon
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Cruciferous crops and wild mustard
- Flower nectar
Predators
- Insectivorous birds
- Orb-weaver spiders
- Parasitoid wasps
ThreatsPesticides and parasitoid wasps
HabitatsGardens, agricultural fields, meadows, suburban parks, roadside verges
Life span3–6 weeks as adults
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyPieridae
- GenusPieris
- SpeciesPieris rapae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Garden observation: Watch for adults fluttering over brassica beds in full sun.
- Larval searching: Inspect the undersides of kale and cabbage leaves for velvety green caterpillars.
- Photography hint: Approach early in the morning before adults warm up enough to fly rapidly.
Parasite (c) Barry Cottam, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Barry Cottam · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Thomas Bresson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Kai Löhr, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kai Löhr · cc-by
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