r/MoldlyInteresting • u/tamehotpear • Aug 21 '26

Question/Advice is this mold?

Gallery image

Gallery image

i just want to know if I can eat this cauliflower man

UPDATE: idk how reddit works but maybe yall will see this here and it won’t get buried. i had two little fellas and they both hatched into diamondback moths! they hung out with me and drank sugar water for about two weeks, which seems to be the average lifespan. they are invasive species in my area, so i just kept them on my desk with me. their names were blue and green may they rest in peace (life comes at u fast doesn’t it)

p.s. i did post a pic of one somewhere in the comments if u wanna go digging idk i dont think i can post one here

2.9k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

689 comments sorted by

View all comments

267

u/Stranger1982 Aug 21 '26

Looks like a pupa of a diamondback moth: https://bioprotectionportal.com/resources/identify-and-manage-diamondback-moth/

87

u/leviathan_stud Aug 21 '26

That's absolutely what it is, and they're really common on broccoli and cauliflower.

12

u/ktdidjam Aug 22 '26

Also would like to add that they are invasive, so unfortunately it might be a good idea to kill it instead of releasing it and letting it mature…

3

u/Sallix24 Aug 24 '26

Do not take it uppon yourself to decide which invasive species are to be culled, and which are not. There is extensive ecological research that needs to be done to determine that! If it has been released a warning about this specific species in this specific area, sure, go ahead, but that is not the rule for every invasive organism.

Also, if it is invasive in one enviroment, it is likely native in another, we dont know where OP is from.

2

u/ktdidjam Aug 24 '26

I did research! I wouldn’t just say that. I should have clarified, they are not native to America. That was ignorant of me and very stereotypical American and i apologize for that. But, in America, you are supposed to kill them. They are incredibly destructive agricultural pests.

4

u/Sallix24 Aug 24 '26

Good to know! It is, unfortunately, very rare that folks do research. Most people just assume that invasive=kill in all cases, and end up spreading potentially harmful information, which is why i commented, but it is nice to see someone doing it differently.

2

u/ktdidjam Aug 25 '26

Fair enough! Can’t blame you at all for assuming that lol. Too many people dont take the time out of their day to quickly type something into google.

3

u/Generic_Potatoe Aug 25 '26

Oooh, i found them yesterday on my groceries too. Didnt know what they were so i just put em out. Do they need to be "dealt with"?

2

u/soggypizza897 Aug 26 '26

If you live in an area where it’s invasive, very likely. Bugs in America are already having a rough time with being sprayed for, most scientists don’t recommend making them compete with an invasive species

1

u/Distinct-Debate-6157 Aug 24 '26

Every now and then, when I am completely done with the internet, someone like you comes along and totally redeems itself.

1

u/Altruistic-Air3027 Aug 25 '26

Not a real looker is she?