Hello, I’m Cabbage White Butterfly

ALIASES

Small Cabbage White, White Butterfly, Cabbage Moth

DESCRIBE YOURSELF

I am quite a striking white butterfly, with two lovely grey/black spots on my wings. I’m probably the most common butterfly in your home garden.

KNOWN ASSOCIATES

Only my larvae caterpillars. I am very territorial and detest other cabbage white butterflies.

WHERE DO I HANG OUT

I love most green vegetables especially Bok Choi, Cabbages, broccoli, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbages, cauliflower, celery, beetroot leaves, rocket and watercress. I generally avoid lettuces even though they are green leaved.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN MUGGED

My caterpillar babies munch through the leaves of your favourite vegetable plants. We leave massive holes in the outer leaves and heaps of delightful green poo around the place! We can make the heads of broccoli and cauliflower seem inedible to you due to our high numbers (unless you like fresh protein with your veggies!)

MODUS OPERANDI

I love flying around your vegetable garden, laying my eggs all over your plants! My caterpillar babies then munch through the leaves of all your favourite green vegetable plants. We leave massive holes in the outer leaves and heaps of delightful green poo around the place!

HOW DO YOU MAKE ME FEEL UNWELCOME

The easiest way to deter me is using a biodynamic pepper (https://thedelectablegarden.com.au/biodynamic-peppers).

If you don’t want to do this then try putting solar-powered flying butterflies in your garden. I see these as competitors and I don’t like competition.

Plant Landcress, as I love to lay my eggs on this plant, but the leaves are poisonous to my babies. As soon as my baby caterpillars start munching on the Landcress they are poisoned and die!

However, if you haven’t planted Landcress and I lay my eggs in your veggies, and my babies have hatched into caterpillars, its not too late to control my damage! Invite Assassin Bugs, Praying Mantis, Paper Wasps, Ladybirds or Lacewings in and I’ll leave ( see Good Bugs in your garden #1).

If you want to use organic sprays, Neem oil spray works well, as I chew on the leaves and the Neem destroys my mouth. Also a home-made or commercial chilli soap sprays make me sick.

Dust plants with Bacillius thuringiensis bacteria (available as Dipel or vegetable dust powder) to kill me and all members of my family.

Just remember, these sprays and powders can kill the good bugs!