cabbage white, either of two species of butterfly with larvae that feed on cabbage and related plants. The small, or European, cabbage white (Pieris rapae) was introduced to North America c. 1860 and is one of the most common white butterfly species in North America. P. rapae has white or cream-coloured wings with small black dots and lays its eggs singly on leaves. The large cabbage white (P. brassicae) is found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It features large black spots with a black band on the tip of its white wings and lays its eggs in characteristic clusters. Both species are considered to be major economic pests and can locally decimate cabbage and other Brassica crops.