Brevicoryne brassicae
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Brevicoryne brassicae, commonly known as the cabbage aphid or cabbage aphis, is a destructive aphid (plant louse) native to Europe that is now found in many other areas of the world. The aphids feed on many varieties of produce, including cabbage, broccoli (especially), Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and many other members of the genus Brassica, but do not feed on plants outside of the family Brassicaceae. The insects entirely avoid plants other than those of Brassicaceae; even though thousands may be eating broccoli near strawberries, the strawberries will be left untouched.
Cabbage aphids, from the genus Brevicoryne of the family Aphididae, are grayish-green, but a waxy covering gives them a grayish-white to powdery blue appearance. Cabbage aphids produce a myrosinase (beta-thioglucoside glucohydrolase) enzyme in head and thoracic muscles; the aphids also uptake glucosinolates, particularly sinigrin, from the plants on which they feed, storing the glucosinolates in their haemolymph. (Glucosinolates are natural defenses for plants in the order Brassicales against pests and herbivores.) The combination of the glucosinolates and the myrosinase enzyme... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Aphid sighting in London on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 931st most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Aphid in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Cabbage Aphid sightings, London ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Berlin (Germany, under 5%) and Auckland (New Zealand, under 5%).
Same family: Aphididae
The closest relatives of the Cabbage Aphid that you can see in London (family Aphididae, Aphids) are Giant Willow Aphid (about 10%), Elm Balloon-Gall Aphid (about 10%) and Elm Sack Gall Aphid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cabbage Aphid is recorded against all the insects logged in London (13 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
