Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758)Non-native  -  Invasive    Synonyms: Hodges #4197.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Lepidoptera   >   Family Pieridae   >   Genus Pieris   

Status:

The ubiquitous Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) is familiar to nearly anyone who ventures outside. This nonnative butterfly species is highly successful in North America, and it can be found in nearly any disturbed or open area, especially anthropogenic habitats like suburban lawns, agricultural fields, or gardens. Cabbage Whites are among the first butterflies of spring that did not overwinter as an adult. They can be seen from March to October (Butterflies of Maryland: A Biological Summary and Checklist by Lynn Davidson & Richard Smith; Kaufman Guide to Butterflies of North America).

Relationships:

This adaptable species uses a wide variety of cruciferous plants (family Brassicaceae) as larval food, including mustards, cabbage, watercresses, and others. It can become a pest in gardens at high densities.

There are 2,687 records in the project database.

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A Cabbage White in Harford Co., Maryland (7/11/2008). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Harford Co., Maryland (9/10/2017). Photo by Shannon Schade. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/30/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Harford Co., Maryland (3/18/2018). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Washington Co., Maryland (8/7/2009). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Prince George's Co., Maryland (10/5/2017). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (6/16/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/2/2019). Photo by Adam Nickey. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Kent Co., Maryland (7/2/2020). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Howard Co., Maryland (4/26/2014). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

A mating pair of Cabbage Whites in Howard Co., Maryland (7/16/2017). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/19/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Baltimore City, Maryland (6/8/2006). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/24/2012). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

A mating pair of Cabbage Whites in Harford Co., Maryland (7/31/2016). Photo by Richard Crook. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Howard Co., Maryland (7/30/2017). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Cabbage Whites in Howard Co., Maryland (8/5/2012). Photo by Annette Allor. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/24/2017). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/6/2019). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Cabbage Whites mating in Howard Co., Maryland (6/28/2015). Photo by Kevin Heffernan. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/19/2016). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White near Shippensburg, Pennsylvania (6/2/2011). Photo by Frank Marenghi. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/19/2016). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/22/2019). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Washington Co., Maryland (6/22/2020). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/11/2013). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Jacqueline Palacios, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jacqueline Palacios. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/15/2021). (c) wendyjalexander, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Wendy Alexander. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Montgomery Co., Maryland (7/31/2023). (c) Scot Magnotta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Scot Magnotta via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White in Talbot Co., Maryland (5/29/2014). Photo by Jared Satchell. (MBP list)

Cabbage White caterpillars feeding in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/10/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Cabbage White larvae still feeding in December in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/2/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White caterpillar in Harford Co., Maryland (6/19/2018). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White caterpillar in Baltimore City, Maryland (5/13/2009). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White egg in Harford Co., Maryland (4/16/2017). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White egg deposited on Garlic Mustard in Harford Co., Maryland (5/5/2018). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A male Cabbage White collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (3/30/2002). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/11/2000). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

A female Cabbage White collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/11/2000). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Howard Co., Maryland (9/25/2021). (c) Jim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jim via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Cabbage White in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/14/2021). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White chrysalis in Howard Co., Maryland (8/12/2019). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Cabbage White falls prey to a Jagged Ambush Bug species in Washington Co., Maryland (6/24/2018). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)


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MBP marks as "Invasive" any taxon listed in the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) list of Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. You can read their criteria and review the lists here: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/.