southern cabbage butterfly
- noun
- /ˈsʌðərn ˈkæbɪdʒ ˈbʌtərflaɪ/
- US
:
mariposa de col del sur
- The southern cabbage butterfly is often seen fluttering around vegetable gardens in the spring.
Examples
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Farmers take measures to protect their crops from the larvae of the southern cabbage butterfly.
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I spotted a southern cabbage butterfly resting on a cabbage leaf during my morning walk.
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The southern cabbage butterfly is often seen in gardens.
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I spotted a southern cabbage butterfly near the cabbage patch.
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Farmers take measures to protect their crops from the larvae of the southern cabbage butterfly.
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I spotted a southern cabbage butterfly resting on a cabbage leaf during my morning walk.
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The southern cabbage butterfly is often seen fluttering around vegetable gardens in the spring.
Synonyms
A white butterfly found in North America with thin dark lines on its wings
A small white butterfly whose caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants
Surface Forms
Morphology
southern + cabbage + butterfly
The phrase is transparently compositional: 'southern' locates it in the south, 'cabbage' identifies the host or association, and 'butterfly' names the insect. A B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer it denotes a butterfly species associated with cabbage and found in southern areas, following common noun‑phrase formation patterns cross‑linguistically.
Etymology
The name southern cabbage butterfly comes from two simple facts: it is a white butterfly often seen in southern areas (southern), and its caterpillars eat cabbage and other garden plants. So the name tells you where the insect lives and that its young 'eat cabbage', which makes it easy to remember.
