Adult Cabbage Moths have a 40 to 45 mm wingspan. They have greenish-brown fore wings with blackish-brown transversal undulations alternating with clearer areas. Their hind wings are light grey. Eggs are hemispherical with a small central protuberance, they are grouped in 20 to 30 eggs and deposited on the underside of the leaves.
Larva are 40 to 45 mm in length and have a smooth green to greyish-brown body. On each segment there are 4 large black spots forming a square. Cabbage Moths feed on tobacco, red beets, lettuces and chicory. There are typically 2 generations per year and they appear in May-June. The second flight takes place from end July to the beginning of September and the caterpillars develop from August to October. They occur particularly in June, then in September.
The caterpillars (cabbageworm) destroy a large number of leaves and their frass accumulates in the central part of the cabbage or plant on which they develop.
For control products and more information please see our Caterpillars and Moths Control page.