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Animal India - Cabbage Looper (Trichoplusia Ni)

Cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni) are members of the Noctuidae family of owlet moths found throughout the United States, Canada, India, and Mexico. The cabbage looper caterpillar is medium-sized, green, and feeds on leaves. It can grow up to 1.5 inches long and has a distinctive looping movement when mature. Caterpillars initially hatch off-white and become pale green with distinct white stripes down each side and four light stripes down the back. They go through 5-7 instars, reaching 1 1/2 inches at maturity. Known as a typical ''measuring'' worm, the caterpillar arches its body into a loop as it crawls. Cabbage loopers are a serious pest mainly affecting cruciferous plants such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. They create ragged holes in leaves and can bore through, contaminating heads and leaves with their bodies and frass. Early instars scrape the leaf surfaces, while later instars chew progressively larger holes. Cabbage loopers are not toxic and are generally not a threat to human health. An incident involving an insect climbing on a human hand wearing a shakha (white bangle made from a conch shell) and pola (red coral bangle) occurred at Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on March 11, 2024. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)

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