Cabbage Aphid

Cabbage Aphid

Brevicoryne brassicae

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San Diego

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

27 Verified sightings at San Diego
April Best month

About the Cabbage Aphid

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 →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
2 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
3 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
4 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cabbage Aphid in San Diego?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Aphid sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 262nd most-seen of the 693 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.

When is the best time to see a Cabbage Aphid in San Diego?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cabbage Aphid in San Diego on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is San Diego the best place to see a Cabbage Aphid?

Among the best

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Cabbage Aphid sightings, San Diego ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Berlin (Germany, under 5%), Auckland (New Zealand, under 5%) and London (United Kingdom, under 5%).

Where does the Cabbage Aphid sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cabbage Aphid is recorded against all the insects logged in San Diego (27 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.

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