Pieris brassicae
- noun
- Specialized
:
Pieris brassicae
- The larvae of Pieris brassicae are well known for damaging cabbage crops.
Examples
-
Researchers studied the migration patterns of Pieris brassicae across Europe.
-
In spring, Pieris brassicae emerge from pupae and can be seen fluttering around gardens and fields.
-
Gardeners often take precautions to protect their plants from Pieris brassicae.
-
The Pieris brassicae is often found in gardens.
-
Have you seen a Pieris brassicae in your yard?
-
The larvae of Pieris brassicae are notorious for causing extensive damage to cabbage and other related plants.
-
Gardeners often apply insecticides to their crops to prevent infestations by Pieris brassicae.
Synonyms
A common large butterfly with white wings whose caterpillars eat cabbages
A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants
A pale butterfly like the cabbage white that visits flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
Pieris + brassicae
This is a Latin scientific name (binomial) where the second element 'brassicae' is not a regular English word and typically represents a Latinized species epithet (often the genitive of Brassica). Even if a learner knows 'Pieris' (a genus of white butterflies), a B1 learner who knows the listed constituents would not be able to derive the common meaning 'cabbage white butterfly / pest of cabbage' without specialist or etymological knowledge, so the expression is not compositionally transparent.
Etymology
Pieris brassicae is the Latin name for the large white butterfly. The second part, brassicae, comes from the word 'brassica' meaning 'cabbage', because the caterpillars eat cabbage and related plants, so the name shows the butterfly's link to cabbages.
