Bath white

Systematic position: The Bath white (Pontia daplidice) belongs to the order Lepidoptera, family Pieridae. It is a well-known species of butterfly that is widely distributed across the Palearctic realm, frequently interacting with agricultural environments.

Host crops: This pest primarily targets plants within the Brassicaceae family. Key crops at risk include cabbage, rapeseed, radish, mustard, and horseradish. Additionally, the pest thrives on various wild cruciferous weeds, which often serve as an early-season food source.

Biology and life cycle: The life cycle includes four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult. The female lays eggs individually on the leaves of host plants. The larvae develop through five instars. Depending on the geographical region, the species can produce multiple generations annually, with the pupa stage typically serving as the overwintering phase.

Damage and economic significance: Damage is caused by the larval stage. Early instars perform window-feeding on the leaves, while later instars consume the entire leaf lamina, leaving only the primary veins. Heavy infestations lead to severe defoliation, which stunts plant growth and drastically reduces commercial yields, especially in commercial cabbage and brassica oilseed crops.

• Implement deep plowing after harvest to destroy overwintering pupae in the soil.
• Strict control of cruciferous weeds to eliminate breeding grounds.
• Monitoring of egg clusters and early-stage larvae in the fields.
• Application of selective biological insecticides when the economic threshold is reached.