Will they visit?: Cabbage White Butterflies frequently visit home gardens
Natural Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the South West and Perth region
Pieris rapae – deborod (CC BY-NC 4.0). Atlas of Living Australia
Pieris rapae – Luis Mata (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Atlas of Living Australia
Pieris rapae – Margaret Alcorn (CC BY-NC 4.0). Atlas of Living Australia
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Shelter on grasses, shrubs, and trees
Diet: Adults feed on nectar, caterpillars feed on foliage
Water: Not required
ReWild Benefit: Pollinator
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
The Cabbage White Butterfly is arguably the most common (or sighted) butterfly in the Perth region. They are easily noticeable and highly territorial, often seen chasing each other around the garden. Cabbage White Butterflies shelter within shrubs, grasses, and trees.
Novel Shelter
Not required.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
Cabbage White Butterflies are adaptable and the adults will feed off the nectar from various native and non-native plants. The hairless green caterpillars are notorious pests and feed on brassica’s including cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflowers. They are known to feed from other native plants.
Avoid commercial non-native seeds advertised for butterflies. These plants are usually unsuitable for our native butterflies to breed on – and have the potential to become serious weeds.
Providing sources of water
Not required.
ReWild Benefits
Cabbage White Butterflies are not native to Australia and were self introduced in the 1920’s. Their caterpillars are major agricultural pests. Nonetheless, they are pollinators and help connect biodiversity across the landscape. If you see them around your garden, you can record your sighting on Atlas of Living Australia!
