Imported Cabbageworm vs African Fruit Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Imported Cabbageworm African Fruit Beetle
Scientific Name Pieris rapae Pachnoda sinuata
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Pieridae Scarabaeidae
Size 45-50 mm wingspan 18-25 mm
Habitat Gardens Gardens
Diet Omnivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Worldwide Southern Africa
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Imported Cabbageworm

A common white butterfly whose velvety green caterpillars are among the most familiar vegetable garden pests. Adults are the small white butterflies frequently seen fluttering over gardens.

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Did You Know?

Despite being called a cabbageworm, it is actually a butterfly caterpillar, not a worm or moth larva.

African Fruit Beetle

A common yellow and brown flower beetle frequently seen on ripe fruit. It is a familiar garden visitor across southern Africa.

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Did You Know?

They are sometimes considered orchard pests because large numbers can congregate on and damage ripe fruit crops.