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Cabbage centre grub facts for kids

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Cabbage centre grub
Hellula hydralis 1.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Hellula
Species:
H. hydralis
Binomial name
Hellula hydralis
Guenée, 1854
Synonyms
  • Scopula criasusalis Walker, 1859
  • Scoparia optatusalis Walker, 1859
  • Pyralis subtrigonalis Walker, [1866]

The cabbage centre grub, also known as Hellula hydralis, is a small moth found across Australia. It belongs to a group of moths called Crambidae. This moth was first studied and named by a scientist named Achille Guenée in 1854.

Discovering the Cabbage Centre Grub

Hellula hydralis dorsal
Dorsal view of the moth
Hellula hydralis ventral
Ventral view of the moth

The Hellula hydralis moth is commonly called the cabbage centre grub because of what its young (larvae) like to eat. It's a type of moth that you can find all over Australia. Scientists first learned about and named this moth back in 1854.

What Does This Moth Look Like?

The cabbage centre grub moth is quite small. When its wings are spread out, they measure about 20 millimeters across. That's about the size of a small coin!

What Does It Eat?

The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, are very specific about their food. They love to munch on plants from the Brassica family. This includes common vegetables like cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and rapeseed (Brassica napus). Rapeseed is a plant grown for its oil, which is used in cooking and other products. Because these grubs eat the center of cabbage plants, they can sometimes be a pest for farmers.

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