Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758)


Pieris brassicae: Male [N] Pieris brassicae: Male [N] Pieris brassicae: Male [N] Pieris brassicae: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, July 2011) [N] Pieris brassicae: Female [N] Pieris brassicae: Female [N] Pieris brassicae: Adult (Olympus, Greece, August 2012) [N] Pieris brassicae: Upper side [N] Pieris brassicae: Adult (Olympus, Greece, July 2010) [N] Pieris brassicae: Starting adult (Olympus) [N] Pieris brassicae: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 09. July 2022) [N] Pieris brassicae: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 09. July 2022) [N] Pieris brassicae: Lower side [N] Pieris brassicae: Female (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Oviposition on Capparis (Greece, Samos Island, 14. May 2017) [N] Pieris brassicae: Fresh batch of eggs on Capparis (Greece, Samos Island, 14. May 2017) [M] Pieris brassicae: Ovae (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2011) [N] Pieris brassicae: Ovae (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2011) [N] Pieris brassicae: Eggs prior to hatching (N-Greece, Kozani, early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L2 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L2 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L2 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L2 larvae (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L3 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L3 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L3 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L4 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L4 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L4 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L4 larva (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L5 larva, last instar (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L5 larva, last instar (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: L5 larva, last instar (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: Hatched larvae (S-Germany, Heidenheim, August 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: L1 after hatching (S-Germany, Heidenheim, August 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Young larvae (S-Germany, Heidenheim, August 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Half-grown larva (S-Germany, Heidenheim, August 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Larvae in penultimate instar (S-Germany, Heidenheim, August 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Pieris brassicae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Samos, May 2009) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Pieris brassicae: Prepupa [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Pupa (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N] Pieris brassicae: Prepupa (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: Pupa (e.o. N-Greece, Kozani, eggs in early June 2023) [S] Pieris brassicae: Typical larval habitat at the coast: Tropaeolum (Azores, Sao Miguel, Maja, late December 2013) [N]

Host plants:
The species developes on Brassicaceae as particularly Brassica oleracea and other Brassica sp, also Lunaria. In addition, the females oviposit on Tropaeolum majus and Capparis spinosa (both also with mustard oil glucosids).

Habitat:
Pieris brassicae inhabits primarily open land like agricultural regions, but also parks, gardens and many other habitats.
Originally, the butterfly has been particularly a species of the drift lines of the coasts. Only with the deforestation and the cabbage farming, it spread all over Europe.

Life cycle:
Two or more rarely, three generations of April to September are trained. The caterpillars are found from May to July, and most common in August/September. Hibernation takes place in the pupal stage.

Endangerment factors:
Pieris brassicae is not endangered, but declined in numbers due to antagonization (pesticides, mechanical removal) in gardens and farm land.

Remarks:
The overall distribution ranges from North Africa across Europe and Asia to the Himalayas. Locally Pieris brassicae was also naturalized elsewhere, such as in South America (Chile).



Pieris balcana | Pieris bryoniae | Pieris cheiranthi | Pieris ergane | Pieris krueperi | Pieris mannii | Pieris napi | Pieris rapae