Indian cabbage white
Males and females look different underneath, with females carrying heavier black speckling and a more strongly yellow tinged hindwing than males.
| Where | Open ground and farmland across Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 42 to 60 mm wingspan |
| When | January to September |
The Indian cabbage white is white to pale cream above, with black scaling at the forewing base and tip, and females show heavier black marking than males. Below, the hindwing carries a black flecked, yellow tinged wash that helps separate it from the smaller Small white.
It flies over most of the year across a broad range of open ground, from lowland fields to mountain slopes, and caterpillars feed on plants in the cabbage family.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
White, Black, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a smaller, less conspicuous black subcostal spot on the hindwing than the Indian cabbage white, and lacks its heavier black speckling below.
Questions
Is the Indian cabbage white dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Indian cabbage white?
The Indian cabbage white can be seen from January to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Finnish Museum of Natural History - Zoology Unit, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Whites and yellows›Pieris
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.