Susan Townsend, age 10, of Kalispell, Mont., for her question:

WHAT COLOR IS THE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY?

Cabbage butterfly is the common name applied to several species of small butterflies. Sometimes it is called the small white. It has a wingspan of about an inch and a quarter and it is white and pale yellow. The forewings are tipped with black.

The female cabbage butterfly's wings also have two black dots while the male has one dot.

The cabbage and other related plants secrete a chemical to which the butterfly is attracted. The butterfly then deposits eggs on the plant's leaves. These hatch into larvae which feed on the leaves and quickly grow to maturity.

About a dozen species are found throughout North America. The most destructive is a variety called Pieria, a species that was introduced into the U .S from Canada about the middle of the 19th century.

The larva, or caterpillar, is about an inch and a half long and green with a dorsal band that is lemon yellow. It eats not only the cabbage leaves but also burrows through the heads.