Scanning electron micrograph of a newly emerged caterpillar among a batch of hatching eggs of the large white butterfly, Pieris brassicae, on the undersurface of a nasturtium' leaf. The eggs are laid in large groups on the leaves of Crucifer crops such as cabbage, broccoli, swedes etc. These eggs were laid at the end of August; the larvae hatch in a few days. They overwinter as pupae & emerge as butterflies in May. The young caterpillars (larvae) feed exclusively on the cuticle of the leaf until after the first moult, when the diet expands to include the whole leaf. The voracious appetite of these pests can lead to the defoliation of a crop. Mag:X96 (10x8).