Kingdom Animalia Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Hellula Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
 | ||
Similar Hellula, Butterflies and moths, Hellula rogatalis, Syngamia florella, Salbia haemorrhoidalis | ||
The Cabbage Budworm Moth (Hellula phidilealis) is a moth of the Crambidae family. It is found in tropical and subtropical America. From the southern United States (Florida to Arizona), north in the east to North Carolina, south through south-western Mexico to northern South America, including several islands in the Caribbean.
The wingspan is about 15 mm. The forewing is brownish-yellow mottled with white patches, especially in the basal half and a crescent-shaped grayish-brown spot near distal end of cell. The hindwing is light gray.
The larva are a pest on cabbages. Young larvae bore into buds, stems, and stalks of crucifers and related weeds, including cabbage, turnip, beet, collard, cauliflower, kale, rutabaga, radish, kohlrabi, mustard, rape, horseradish, shepherds purse and purslane. Older larvae spin silken webs on leaves and feed on outer leaves during the day within these webs.
