# Cabbage moth (*Pieris brassicae*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/pieris-brassicae  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The cabbage moth (Pieris brassicae) is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup, belonging to the family Pieridae in the order Lepidoptera. Its other English names are Large white, Cabbage white, Large white moth, Cabbage butterfly and Large cabbage white. The species was named by (Linnaeus, 1758) and is placed in the genus Pieris, superfamily Papilionoidea, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda and kingdom Animalia. The Catalogue of Life lists the cabbage moth as a living, not extinct, species.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 4.9 cm – 6.24 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Nectarivore |
| Main food | flowers |
| Habitat | grassland, human_modified, shrubland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| On the wing | All year |
| Generations a year | Several |
| Larval food plants | Brassicaceae family |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Pieridae
- genus: Pieris
- species: *Pieris brassicae* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Papilio brassicae*, *Pieris brassicae brassicae*, *Pieris brassicae ottonis*, *Pieris brassicae var. brassicoides*, *Pieris chariclea*, *Pontia chariclea*

## Common questions

### What is the scientific name of the cabbage moth?

The scientific name of the cabbage moth is Pieris brassicae, in the genus Pieris.

### What kind of animal is the cabbage moth?

The cabbage moth is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera and the family Pieridae.

### Who named Pieris brassicae?

Pieris brassicae was named by (Linnaeus, 1758).

### What other names does the cabbage moth have?

The cabbage moth is also called Large white, Cabbage white, Large white moth, Cabbage butterfly and Large cabbage white.

### Is the cabbage moth extinct?

No. The Catalogue of Life lists the cabbage moth as living, not extinct.

### What family does the cabbage moth belong to?

The cabbage moth belongs to the family Pieridae, within the superfamily Papilionoidea.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Shirey, V., Larsen, E., Doherty, A. et al. (2022) LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits. Scientific Data 9: 382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01473-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Cabbage moth (Pieris brassicae). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/pieris-brassicae