Diagnosing cabbage white butterfly
Larvae of cabbage white butterfly are often found in canola crops. The larvae consume leaves but numbers are very rarely high enough to cause serious damage to the crop.
What to look for
- Large irregular holes chewed in leaves.
- Seldom feed on floral parts of the plant when foliage is available.
Plant
- Velvety green caterpillar up to 30mm long with a pale yellow stripe down the back.
Insect Nymph
- Large moths with 30-40mm wingspan and predominantly white with black wingspots and markings.
Insect Adult
What else could it be
| Condition | Similarities | Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosing diamondback moth | Green caterpillar eating holes in leaves | Smaller lighter green, and more irritable often dangling from a silken thread when disturbed |
Management strategies
Spraying foliar
- Cabbage white butterfly is not an economic problem of canola but can be controlled with foliar insecticides.
Page last updated: Monday, 1 May 2017 - 12:14pm