Broccoli · Symptom guide
Bugs on broccoli plants
Bugs on broccoli plants in a garden bed are a look-and-compare job. Cited sheets list imported cabbageworm as observations, not a ranked or confirmed cause. This page does not diagnose, name a spray, or sell a treatment.
Cited observations are comparisons—not a confirmed diagnosis. Check the cited sources and local requirements before taking action.
Save this bed. See it coming next year.
Your checks stay in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Illustrative photograph — not identification proof.
Look
Compare the plant in front of you with the cited notes after Other causes. Leaf marks alone do not name a cause on this page.
Other causes
Growing notes live on how to grow broccoli. Garden-wide looks live on garden pests. Tomato hornworm is a separate species page — not this crop-pest list.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1301 (South Carolina)
Imported cabbageworms named on broccoli.
Details and limits (2)
Look
Clemson HGIC 1301 (South Carolina) names imported cabbageworms on broccoli. Naming on that sheet — not a ranking and not a diagnosis.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1301. Naming-on-sheet only.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Larvae velvety green. Adults white butterflies. Host broccoli. Row cover. Handpick.
Details and limits (6)
Look
Maryland Extension (Maryland): larvae are velvety green caterpillars with a single yellow stripe down the center of the back, about 1 1/4 in long in the final instar. Observation — not a diagnosis.
Look
Maryland Extension (Maryland): adults are butterflies with a 2 in wingspan. Wings white on top, usually with black tips and 2 or 3 black spots. Observation — not a diagnosis.
Look
Maryland Extension (Maryland): host plants include broccoli. Host as named — not a ranking.
Look
Maryland Extension (Maryland): larvae feed on leaves and sometimes bore into broccoli heads. Observation — not a diagnosis.
Method
Maryland Extension (Maryland): use floating row cover. Handpick larvae. Method — not a prevention promise.
Limit
Maryland imported-cabbageworm sheet. Observation and method as named.
Clemson HGIC 2203 (South Carolina)
Larvae around 1 inch. Fuzzy appearance.
Details and limits (2)
Look
Clemson HGIC 2203 (South Carolina): imported cabbageworm larvae reach a length of around 1 inch and are distinguishable by their fuzzy appearance. Observation — not a diagnosis.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 2203. Observation only.
Sources differ
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.