The lighter colored hind wings have dark margins. Larva - This green larva tapers from the rear to the head and has 3 pairs of prolegs. Several white stripes run the length of the body. When fully grown, the caterpillar is about 40 mm long and is less noticeably striped. Pupa - The green to brown pupa is approximately 19 mm long and encased in a loosely woven silk cocoon.
Cocoons occur on vegetation or in the soil litter.
In the United States, this caterpillar is primarily a problem in the South. Damaging infestations in cotton usually occur after early insecticide applications. Host plants - The cabbage looper infests a large range of plants. Ragged holes in cotton foliage may be indicative of their presence. Life history - Cabbage loopers overwinter as pupae attached to host plant foliage which has fallen to the ground.