Cabbage White Chrysalis

The caterpillar became a chrysalis. Can you tell which part is the chrysalis and which part is the leaf? Again, really great camouflage! The white is the wing, as seen through the pupal case. When it is that easy to see, it means the butterfly is about to emerge. It will probably be a butterfly tomorrow.

Cabbage White Caterpillar

Cabbage White caterpillars are so well camouflaged! I love the way that they lay themselves right down along a vein, as if pretending to be a part of the leaf. When I want to find live specimens, I have discovered that it is easier to find eggs than caterpillars. Even thought the eggs are much smaller, they are white and stand out against the green leaves.

Cabbage White caterpillars eat nasturtiums, as pictured here, but they also eat cabbages and other plants in the cabbage family like kale and cauliflower. They can be quite a pest in the veggie garden. But I love them because they are easy to find and have a long season. Cabbage Whites are some of the first butterflies I see in the spring.