Diamondback moth: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the diamondback moth lives – recorded in 25 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Plutella xylostella
Group	Butterflies & moths
Found in	25 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Plutellidae

Where does the diamondback moth live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the diamondback moth in 25 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. Wikidata gives its range as: New Zealand. In New Zealand, South Africa it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the diamondback moth?

The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Plutellidae, genus Plutella. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the diamondback moth

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 of these plants are equally useful as hosts to the moth. Because of this, studies have suggested using wintercress as a trap crop around agricultural fields because diamondback moths are highly attracted to that plant but their larvae fail to survive when eggs are laid on it.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Diamondback moth (revision 1363027158), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1050343 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).