The term cabbage worm is primarily used for any of three species of Lepidopteran whose larvae feed on cabbages and other cole crops. Host plants include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, and kohlrabi. This small group of similar pest species is known to agriculturists as the cabbage worm complex. Super Families Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Micropterigoidea Heterobathmioidea Eriocranioidea Acanthopteroctetoidea Lophocoronoidea Neopseustoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Hepialoidea Nepticuloidea Incurvarioidea Palaephatoidea Tischeriodea Simaethistoidea Tineoidea Gracillarioidea Yponomeutoidea Gelechioidea Zygaenoidea Sesioidea Cossoidea Tortricoidea Choreutoida Urodoidea Galacticoidea Schreckensteinioidea Epermenioidea Pterophoroidea Aluctoidea Immoidea Axioidea Hyblaeoidea Thyridoidea Whalleyanoidea Pyraloidea Mimallonoidea Lasiocampoidea Geometroidea Drepanoidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidae Hedyloidea Noctuoidea Families About... The striking caterpillar of the Emperor Gum Moth This article is about insect larva. ... Coronary artery bypass surgery is sometimes pronounced Cabbage(s). See also Cabbage car. ... Genera See text. ...

• The imported cabbage worm (Pieris rapae or Artogeia rapae) is a caterpillar in the butterfly family Pieridae. It is fuzzy and bright green in color. It prefers cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. The adult of the species is the small white, a common butterfly.

• The cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a member of the moth family Noctuidae. The caterpillar is smooth and green with white stripes. It is called a "looper" because it arches its body as it crawls, inchworm-style. This species is very destructive to plants due to its voracious consumption of leaves. It is not restricted to cole crops; other plant hosts include tomato, cucumber, and potato. The adult of the species is a nocturnal brown moth.

• The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella or, in some literature known by the synonym P. maculipennis) is a member of the moth family Plutellidae. The caterpillar is smooth and solid green in color. When disturbed, it thrashes and drops off the plant. The newly-emerged larva is a leaf miner, entering the tissues of the leaf and consuming the parenchyma between the two outer layers of the leaf. Larger larvae make holes through the leaf, consuming all the tissue. The adult of the species is a small, elongated gray moth with whitish spots on the forewings that form two diamond shapes when the moth is at rest. The diamondback moth is primarily a tropical species, but is migratory, reaching temperate zones in most years.

Other species of caterpillar that may be called "cabbage worm" include the cross-striped cabbageworm, corn earworm, cabbage webworm, , Gulf white cabbageworm, southern cabbageworm, as well as many cutworm species such as fall armyworm and beet armyworm. Type species Pieris brassicae (Large White) Diversity 76 genera 1,051 species Subfamilies Dismorphiinae Pseudopontiinae Pierinae Coliadinae The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies. ... Binomial name Pieris rapae Linnaeus, 1758 The Small White butterfly, Pieris rapae, flies April-May and July-August. ... Diversity 4,200 genera 35,000 species Type Species Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) Subfamilies Acontiinae Acronictinae Aganainae Agaristinae Amphipyrinae Amphipyrinae Bagisarinae Bryophilinae Calpinae Catocalinae Cocytiinae Condicinae Cuculliinae Dilobinae Eucocytiinae Eustrotiinae Euteliinae Glottulinae Hadeninae Heliothinae Herminiinae Hypeninae Ipimorphinae Noctuinae Plusiinae Psaphidinae Raphiinae Stictopterinae Stiriinae Strepsimaninae Ufeinae The Noctuidae or Owlets... Binomial name Helicoverpa zea Boddie, 1850 The larva of the moth Helicoverpa zea is a major agricultural pest. ... The term cutworm is used for the larvae of many species of moth. ... Binomial name Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, 1808) The beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) is one of the most well-known agricultural pest insects. ...

External links

• Imported Cabbageworm info page
  
• Cabbage Looper info page
  
• Diamondback Moth info page