What To Cabbage White Butterfly Eat
There are so many benefits to having a garden but one of the highlights is the presence of beautiful butterflies that shows up, especially in large numbers. Butterflies are known as pollinators helping to contribute to our ecosystem that is so diverse. What I found to be so amazing is that there are estimated to be “over 100,000 species of butterfly worldwide”.
Wow, that’s a lot of butterflies on planet earth, each species or family of butterflies is unique in its own way which makes the butterfly kingdom interesting. We will be discussing however one such butterfly known as the cabbage white and its diet. The cabbage white butterfly can be found throughout Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Their natural habitat includes open spaces such as woods, bogs, gardens, suburbs, roadsides, meadows, agricultural fields, and trees.
Cabbage White Butterfly Identification
The cabbage white butterfly belongs to the family Pieridae and can easily be identified by its white wings and black markings which can be found on the wingtips, the wings of this butterfly also have small black dots.
Cabbage White Butterfly Larva Diet
The larva of the cabbage white feeds on cabbage, radishes, cauliflowers, broccoli, turnips, brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, etc… because of this crop growers view the cabbage white as a pest. If this describes you then this is how to bring control. But if your desire is to raise them then these are among some of the food sources the cabbage white enjoys.
Cabbage White Butterfly Host Plants
The food source of the cabbage white butterfly includes these nectar-rich plants.
- Dandelions
- Purple Coneflower
- Iron Weeds
- Black-eyed Susan
- Red Clover
- Zinnias
- Mustards
- Butterfly Bush
- Butterfly Milkweed
- Asters
- Mistflower
- Red clover
Natural Ways to Control Cabbage White Butterfly Larva
If you are growing food crops that are a favorite of the cabbage white there are natural ways to bring control without the use of harmful chemicals. Here are natural ways to bring control.
In the wild or in their natural habitat, the cabbage white butterfly feeds on the list of nectar-rich flowering plants that we discussed but in captivity, you can feed them sugar and water.
To make this mixture of sugar and water, mix together 1 part sugar or honey with 7 parts of water, now thoroughly stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once this is done place the sugary water in a plastic cup and cover it with a mesh wire like a mosquito net, the water level should reach about 1 cm under the mesh.
The final word on the cabbage white butterfly diet
The cabbage white butterfly can be an added bonus or pests depending on the desired end (the reason why you planted your garden). If they are making a meal out of your garden veggies then you may have an issue but if you are like some homeowners who raise them then it can be a pleasant experience. The cabbage white is a beautiful butterfly that has a rich history. Following this guide will give you insights on how to raise them or control them giving you much success. Their presence in your garden is all a part of bringing balance to our ecosystem that is so diverse but yet works as one to thrive.
Newsletter
Signup Today for Our Newsletter to Receive Up to Date Information on Herbs and Other Gardening News in the Industry.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
This is a really nice post. Because I also love to talk about butterflies now. But I have never seen this Cabbage white variety. In this post you have explained how to control those butterflies naturally. It’s worth a lot. Because we can control them in a way that does not bother them. This post is very important. I will definitely share this post. Keep posting like this.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, these butterflies are amazing and have a very rich history. I am so happy to help. All the best to you and have a good day!!
This type of butterfly is very interesting to me. They are very widespread and can be found in some parts of Asia. I had the opportunity to see the plants that these butterflies ate and they really are great pests when it comes to agriculture. I never thought about them until I started gardening.
It so amazing because as we know butterflies are pollinators but with the cabbage white it is and interesting twist. The good news is these butterflies can be controlled using natural methods, and what is even more interesting is some persons raised them in captivity. Although the cabbage white is seen as a pests they are a part of our ecosystem.