Cabbage White

One of the most common butterflies seen flying around urban and suburban America is the cabbage white. More often than not IT is the white butterfly flying around your yard. Cabbage whites us a variety of mustards as larval host plants from leafy garden vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage to weeds such as london rocket, flixweed, garlic mustard, and whitetop. There are many ways to raise cabbage white caterpillars. Three of these ways are illustrated below.

Click on any image to start slide show.

Cabbage White Butterflies

Front Row: Cabbage white male upperside and underside; female upperside and underside Bottom Row: Same as front row; except early spring forms. Early spring form adults are the first generation where cabbage whites fly in the early spring and are a result of exposing pupae either to cold temperatures, shorter daylength, or both.
Cabbage White egg on whitetop

This is an ovum of Pieris rapae as laid on whitetop (Cardaria draba).
Cabbage White egg on white top

There are many ways to raise cabbage white caterpillars. This photo shows cuttings of white top (Cardaria draba) in bottled water. Place that in a bucket or terrarium with a screen or nylon mesh lid.
Cabbage white caterpillar in a squat tub

Another method of raising cabbage white caterpillars includes placing caterpillars in a squat tub container. Replace plant and frass either every day or every other day as needed. This is a cabbage white third instar caterpillar on white top (Cardaria draba.)
Potted ornamental Pink Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

A third way to raise cabbage whites is to place caterpillars on potted ornamental pink cabbage (Brassica oleracea) or other suitable nursery plant. Caterpillars will also feed on cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, black mustard, or other weedy mustards.
Potted Pink Cabbage Plant

Similar to earlier slide with a paint strainer placed over the potted plant to protect larvae against predators such as spiders and earwigs. Place the potted plant near direct or filtered sunlight and water regularly.
Caterpillar on cabbage leaf using Twin Cup Method

Here is another method of raising cabbage white and checkered white butterflies.

This is a third instar checkered white caterpillar in a twin cup setup on pink cabbage. The leaf of the pink cabbage protrudes down the hole of the one small container into the other container (bottled water bottle sliced in half) filled with water. For more information on how to create this setup, see this video.
Cabbage White Caterpillars Feeding Damage

Second instar caterpillar. Note the holes that caterpillar produces as it feeds on Cardaria draba. Look for this type of feeding damage when you are looking for caterpillars.
Closeup: Cabbage white second instar

Closeup of previous photo.
Cabbage White Third Instar Caterpillar

Caterpillar feeding damage on pink cabbage.
Cabbage White third instar caterpillar on Cardaria draba
Cabbage White Fifth Instar Caterpillar
Cabbage White Fifth Instar Caterpillar
Cabbage White Pre-Pupa

As is applicable to other whites, orangetips, sulfurs, and swallowtails, a cabbage white larva will form a cremaster and girdle before forming a chrysalis. The cremaster is the silking of the butt end of the larva to the surface; whereas the gridle is the silk strands fastened around the ventral side of the chrysalis to secure it to the place where it pupates (in this case, the host plant pink cabbage).
Cabbage White Pupa
Cabbage White Pupa