---
title: "Diamondback Moth"
description: "Plutella xylostella — Insects & spiders. The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/diamondback-moth
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Diamondback Moth

> Plutella xylostella — Insects & spiders. The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella.

- Scientific name: *Plutella xylostella*
- Category: `insects` (Insects & spiders)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 42117
- Wikidata: [Q1050343](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1050343)
- iNaturalist taxon: [126765](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126765)

## Names

- en: Diamondback Moth
- de: Kohlschabe
- es: Palomilla dorso de diamante
- fr: Teigne des choux
- nl: Koolmot
- pl: Tantniś krzyżowiaczek

## Countries with the most observations

US (12498), CA (2766), RU (2235), GB (2073), DE (1591), FR (1151), ES (1060), AT (1041), FI (779), AU (750), NZ (555), UA (513)

## Summary

The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along its back.  The species may have originated in Europe, South Africa, or the Mediterranean region, but it has now spread worldwide.
The moth has a short life cycle (14 days at 25 °C), is highly fecund, and is capable of migrating long distances. Diamondback moths are considered pests as they feed on the leaves of cruciferous crops and plants that produce glucosinolates. However, not all…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondback_moth

## Photo

![Diamondback Moth](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/diamondback-moth/medium.jpg)

Photo: Peter de Lange · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70568424

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/diamondback-moth?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).