The cabbage white is an insect in the butterfly and moth family that feeds voraciously on cabbage plants.
More generally, it also attacks all cruciferous plants such as cauliflower, black broccoli, and savoy cabbage.
As a lepidopteran, it appears in three different forms corresponding to its life stages:
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eggs, which are yellow-orange and laid under the leaves;
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larvae, which are green or yellow caterpillars with black stripes or dots;
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the butterfly, the adult stage of the insect, white with brown markings on the wings and responsible for reproduction.
The stage that causes the most damage in the vegetable garden is the larva, which feeds on cabbage leaves, leaving only the tougher veins and also causing rot. The larvae live in groups and are very fast as well as very hungry: they can eat entire cabbage crops in a very short time.
The cabbage white is present in the garden throughout the season and does not need particular temperatures to appear.
