Cabbage Moth vs Oriental Fruit Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cabbage Moth Oriental Fruit Fly
Scientific Name Mamestra brassicae Bactrocera dorsalis
Order Lepidoptera Diptera
Family Noctuidae Tephritidae
Size Wingspan 34-50mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cabbage Moth

A mottled grey-brown moth with kidney-shaped and circular stigmata on the forewings. Its caterpillar is a serious pest of brassica crops worldwide.

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Did You Know?

A single caterpillar can bore deep into a cabbage head contaminating it with frass and making it unmarketable.

Oriental Fruit Fly

A highly polyphagous tropical fruit fly attacking over 400 host plant species. It is one of the most economically damaging invasive insects worldwide.

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Did You Know?

It attacks more host plant species than any other fruit fly, with over 400 recorded hosts.