Page 135 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Pieridae
DISTRIBUTION Europe, North Africa, South Africa, and Asia
HABITAT Farms, vegetable gardens, croplands, and pastures
HOST PLANTS Crucifers (Brassica spp.), including cabbage, caulifower,
and Brussels sprouts

NOTE One of few agriculturally significant butterfly caterpillar pests
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but widespread and common

ADULT WINGSPAN
2½–3 in (63–76 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1³∕₈–1⁹∕₁₆ in (35–40 mm)
PIERIS BRASSICAE
LARGE WHITE 133

(LINNAEUS, 1758)

Large White caterpillars hatch from eggs laid in irregular
batches of 30 to 100 on the underside of host plant leaves. They
eat the empty shells, then spin a fine layer of silk over the leaf and

feed gregariously, eating only the cuticle. Later they perforate
the leaf. Large White caterpillars feed and rest at the same time.
The caterpillars tend to congregate in a line along the edge of a
leaf, devouring it as they move backward. Late instars disperse

and feed singly. About 30 days after hatching, the final instar
seeks a place for pupation. The Large White caterpillar is gray green,
darkest dorsally, with three yellow, longitudinal
stripes. The edges of the stripes are poorly
The larvae usually pupate under a ledge or on a tree trunk, with de ned and blend into the ground color.

the ivory white and gray pupae fixed upright. Sometimes pupae The ventral surface is greenish, and the
prolegs are brown. Short, black spots occur
are attached to the host plant; the pupae are then green in color. all over the body, each bearing a ne seta.
Considerable numbers of Large White caterpillars fail to pupate
because of parasitism by ichneumonid wasps, which lay their
eggs in caterpillars; the developing wasp larvae feed on and
eventually kill their host.

Actual size