cabbage looper

the larva of a noctuid moth, Trichoplusia ni, common throughout the U.S. and Canada, that feeds on a wide variety of vegetable crops, esp. cabbage and lettuce.

[1900-05]

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Distinctive green, white-lined larva, or caterpillar (Trichoplusia ni), of the owlet moth family (Noctuidae).

Like other loopers, it moves in an "inching" motion. It is an economic pest of cabbages and associated crops, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. The adults, known as Ni moths, migrate considerable distances. They are mottled brown with a pale Y-shaped mark on each forewing. The typical adult wingspan is about 1 in. (25 mm).

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▪ larva

      distinctive green, white-lined larva, or caterpillar, in the owlet moth family Noctuidae (order Lepidoptera). Like other larvae in the subfamily Plusiinae, the cabbage looper has only three pairs of prolegs rather than four, causing it to crawl in a looper fashion similar to the measuring worms in the family Geometridae. It is an economic pest of cabbages and allied crops, particularly in the United States and Europe. The adults, known as Ni moths, migrate considerable distances. They are mottled brown with a pale Y-shaped mark on each forewing. The typical adult wingspan is about 25 mm (1 inch).

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