UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
FARMERW’ 
BULLETIN 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 766 NovEeMBER 20, 1916 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chief. 
THE COMMON CABBAGE WORM.' 
By F. H. Cuirrenven, Hntomologist in Charge of Truck-Crop and Stored-Product 
Insect Investigations. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
The most destructive of the many insect and other enemies of 
cabbage and related crops over the United States generally is the 
larva or caterpillar of the 
imported cabbage butter- 
fly (figs. 1, 2), some- 
times called the white 
butterfly or rape butter- 
fly, a familiar object to 
nearly everyone. This 
caterpillar, the imported 
cabbage worm, is well 
known to farmers 
throughout this country 
and in the Old World as 
well, and the butterfly is - 
generally recognized by 
the farmer as the parent 
of the “ worms.” 
DESCRIPTIVE. 
THE CATERPILLAR. 
TY = : Fic. 1.—The common cabbage worm (Pontia rapde) : 
US cabbage worm 1S a, Female butterfly; b, above, egg as seen from 
velvety green, about the above; below, egg as seen from side; c¢, larva, or 
sal ; “worm,” in natural position on cabbage leaf; 
same color as the cabbage d, suspended chrysalis. a, c, d, slightly enlarged; 
on which it feeds. There b, more enlarged. (Author’s illustration.) 
is a faint yellow stripe down the middle of the back and a row of 
yellow spots along each side in line with the spiracles or breathing 
1 Pontia rapae L.; order Lepidoptera, family Pieridae. 
Notre.—This bulletin is intended to assist cabbage growers to control one of their most 
troublesome pests. 
56318°—Bull. 766—16 
