Cabbage white butterfly

The white butterfly Pieris brassicae is a butterfly whose adult females lay their eggs on the leaves of cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, beetroot, spinach, and the larvae feed on them. Leafy vegetables are affected. Infestations are usually large, to such an extent that they may leave only the ribs.

Scientific name: Pieris brassicae, Mamestra brassicae, Plutella maculipennis, Trichoplusia ni
Greek name: Λευκή πεταλούδα

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Enemy

Pieris

The adult (butterfly) has a wingspan of 40-60 mm. The forewings are white with a greyish upper corner. Females additionally bear two black round spots. The hind wings are also white with only one small black spot near the upper corner. The larva (caterpillar) reaches a length of 40-45 mm; its body is green in color with 3 yellow lines along its length, numerous hairs and small black spots. The head and thoracic plate are black.

The eggs, laid on the leaves in bundles, are characteristically conical, yellow, with protruding sides.

Mamestra

The adult has a wingspan of 40-45 mm. The forewings are brownish with transverse zigzag bands of alternating darker and lighter colors. The larva (caterpillar) reaches a length of 40-45 mm and is greenish in color. The head and forewing are darker in color. Laterally it bears a light-colored band and a dotted brown band within a yellowish frame.

Plutella

The adult has a 15 mm wingspan and anterior wings are brownish yellow. The larva (caterpillar) reaches a length of 10-15 mm. The body is greenish, the head is brownish-black with black spots on the forewing.

Trichoplusia

The adult has a wingspan of 40-45 mm and forewings are brownish. The larva (caterpillar) reaches 40-45 mm and is light green in color. It bears only two pairs of ventral legs and one pair of ventral legs.