Cabbage White - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly ID Thumbnail — Get Identification Help

European Cabbage Whites arrived in Toronto around 1860, found North America to their liking and made themselves permanent Alabama residents by 1881. Today they are some of our most common butterflies. Fluttering from early spring through fall or early winter, their cue to overwinter is determined by temperature rather than day length. Cabbage Whites probably occur in every Alabama county, flourishing wherever plants in the mustard family grow.

Male Cabbage Whites typically search for females by patrolling the same small areas day after day. Males may also gather on wet roads or muddy areas to take moisture and minerals. Broods are continuous as long as host plants are available. They are often among the first butterflies to emerge in spring.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chilton, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Covington, Dallas, Dekalb, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

400 - Baldwin - 7/14/2020
121 - Baldwin - 7/7/2020
102 - Baldwin - 12/21/2020

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
16	4	21	3	5	4	17	22	44	80	52	80	39	21	35	62	155	92	88	218	66	81	49	209	222	545	85	76	23	39	14	37	25	21	34	42	41	6	14	26	23	29	16	15	17	22	115	68

Habitat

Almost any sunny area, including urban habitats. Often near cultivation.

Host and Nectar Plants

Many members of the Mustard family (Brassicaceae), generally cultivated plants, are reported throughout the Cabbage White's range.

In addtion to the plants hightlighted in blue below, these common vegetables have also been documented as Cabbage White hosts in Alabama:

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea ‘Broccoli’)
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea ‘Cabbage’)
Savoy Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda)
Collards (Brassica oleracea var. viridis).

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

Cabbage White (*Pieris rapae*)

County

© Sara Bright

Poorman's Pepperwort/Virginia Peppergrass

Landscaping Ideas

Cabbage Whites frequently visit vegetable gardens if they include members of the mustard family such as cabbage, broccoli, or mustard greens. Their caterpillars will also eat the ornamental cabbages that are often included in fall planters. Cabbage Whites reportedly avoid kale and purple cabbage.

Including a variety of nectar-rich flowers such as Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), ironweeds (Vernonia spp.), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and Mistflower/Wild Ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) in your landscape will provide food for adult Cabbage Whites and many other butterflies throughout the growing season.