This was a simple article we did just categorizing our observations of Pieris rapae, the cabbage white butterfly, using a native host, Alliaria petiolata, while both in invaded territory (the US). This open-access article details our observations of oviposition and larval survival in Ohio ecosystems.
Pieris rapae L., an invasive crop pest, may have recently begun using Alliaria petiolata Bieb. (Cavara & Grande), a European invasive biennial. We investigated how P. rapae uses forest habitats for nectar and oviposition and examined larval performance on A. petiolata in the field and laboratory. Being known primarily to occupy open habitats, we found that P. rapae regularly uses forest edge habitats, most surveyed A. petiolata plants had P. rapae damage, and P. rapae successfully used both stages of A. petiolata for larval development.