Pieris brassicae

Imagine a butterfly with wings as white as snow! That's the Cabbage White butterfly, also known as Pieris brassicae. These little fliers are super common and can be found fluttering around gardens and fields. They have a special job in nature, helping plants by spreading pollen as they fly from flower to flower. They are small but mighty in the world of insects!

Cabbage Whites love to explore! They live all over Europe, Asia, and even North Africa. You'll often see them in gardens, parks, and fields where there are lots of yummy plants for them to munch on. They are like tiny tourists, traveling to find the best places to eat and lay their eggs. They are very adaptable and can live in many different kinds of places.

These butterflies have a very specific diet. As caterpillars, they love to eat the leaves of plants in the cabbage family, like broccoli and kale. This is how they got their name! Adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers using a long, straw-like tongue called a proboscis. They are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants.

A Cabbage White butterfly's life is a busy one! They start as tiny eggs, then hatch into caterpillars that eat and grow. After a while, they turn into a chrysalis, which is like a sleeping bag, and then emerge as beautiful butterflies. They don't live for a very long time as butterflies, usually just a few weeks, but they make the most of it!