Pieris rapae
- noun
- Specialized
:
Pieris rapae
- I spotted a Pieris rapae fluttering near the cabbage patch.
Examples
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The Pieris rapae is often seen in gardens.
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A natural predator helps control the population of Pieris rapae in organic gardens.
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Many gardeners try to protect their vegetables from Pieris rapae infestations.
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The larvae of Pieris rapae can cause significant damage to cabbage crops.
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Many gardeners try to protect their vegetables from Pieris rapae infestations.
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A natural predator helps control the population of Pieris rapae in organic gardens.
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I spotted a Pieris rapae fluttering near the cabbage patch.
Synonyms
A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants
Surface Forms
Morphology
Pieris + rapae
This is a scientific Latin binomial (taxonomic name) rather than a compositional English phrase; its meaning as the cabbage white butterfly (or its larva) is a learned label, not predictable from English word formation. The second element 'rapae' is not a regular English word (no dictionary gloss) and even though Latin names are internationally used, they function as proper names that B1 learners cannot reliably interpret from the parts.
Etymology
Pieris rapae is the scientific name for the 'cabbage white' butterfly; the pale white insect often flies over cabbage patches and lays eggs on the plants, so its name links its white wings to the vegetable it loves. That's why Pieris rapae today means the small white butterfly that feeds on cabbages.
