Pieris brassicae, the large white, is a species of butterfly in the family
Pieridae, common in Europe, Asia and North Africa. The
larva pictured here, which was found at a market in
Fronton, France, is a serious pest of plants in the cabbage family,
Brassicaceae. The eggs are laid in batches on the undersides of the leaves of plants rich in mustard-oil
glucosides, and consumption of these substances as they chew the leaves makes the larvae distasteful; the bright colouration of the larvae signals to
predators that they taste bad. Additionally, the adult butterflies emit an unpleasant smell and display warning colours.
Photograph credit: Didier Descouens