General Description
Above: white to pale grey wings with black tips; two dark eyespots on the forewing, one on the hindwing. Below: similar colour to above, one eyespot (males) or two eyespots (females) on the forewing, none on the hindwing. Wingspan up to 5 cm.
Biology
Cabbage White caterpillars are green and considered pests, eating leaves of cabbages and other vegetable crops. They were first recorded in Australia in 1929. Wasps were introduced into crop areas to eat the caterpillars, with limited success.
Distribution
Worldwide. Southern and eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Farmland and urban areas.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Clubbed antennae, without eyespots, without tails on hindwing.
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Colours
Black, White, Yellow
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Habitats
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Diet
Nectar
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Endemicity
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, DSE Advisory List: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Plants
Crops
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Flight Start
January
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Flight End
December
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Linnaeus, 1758)
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Common Name
Cabbage White
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Other Names
Small White , Cabbage butterfly
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Subclass
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Superorder
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Order
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Suborder
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Superfamily
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Family
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Subfamily
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Genus
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Species Name
rapae
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Subspecies
rapae