Wisconsin Fast Plants® and the Brassica Butterfly Grow to adults entirely on brassica-family plants Demonstrate tandem life cycles A prepared kit is a great way to explore tandem life cycles. It has all the materials you need, except some common household items, and complete instructions for success. Our Wisconsin Fast Plants® Life in the Balance: Plants and Butterflies Kit (#158986) is a tested, inquiry-based activity that we recommend as a comprehensive introduction to the topic. With its classroom-proven Wisconsin Fast Plants® and Brassica butterflies, students can witness butterfly eggs hatching on plants they have grown, explore the interaction between plant and butterfly in tandem life cycles, and learn the basic principles of symbiotic relationships.

Cabbage White (Brassica) Butterfly Care Sheet Other Care Sheets Carolina Biological has an excellent care sheet to help you look after your new organism. The link will open a new browser window, so please disable popup blockers

This classroom butterfly, Pieris rapae, can be raised entirely on plants from the brassica family. Place the paper strip with eggs gently on a leaf and watch the tiny green caterpillars eat and grow. Move the larger caterpillars to brussels sprouts or to other readily available vegetables from the brassica family until the pale green chrysalids are formed. Attractive, white butterflies will appear in about 30 days.

Complete instructions include rearing tips, feeding activities, behavior studies, and more. A unit of eggs should result in at least 5 or 6 caterpillars. A 2-week notice for orders of 10 units or more is needed.

Note: Sow radish, turnip, or Fast Plants® seed about a week before your butterfly eggs arrive, allowing at least 10 plants per unit of eggs.

Important: Per US Department of Agriculture regulations, the cabbage white butterfly cannot be released into the environment at any stage of its life cycle.