Transcriptional patterns elicited in response to attack reveal, at the molecular level, how plants respond to aggressors. These responses are fashioned in response both to physical damage as well as to biological components displayed or released by the attacker and different types of attacking organisms might be expected to elicit different transcriptional programs in the host. Using a large-scale DNA microarray we characterized gene expression in damaged as well as in distal Arabidopsis leaves in response to to the specialist insect, Pieris rapae. Over one hundred insect-responsive genes potentially involved in defense were identified, including genes involved in pathogenesis-related response, indole glucosinolate metabolism, detoxification processes, or signal transduction. Expression patterns in distal leaves were markedly similar to those of local leaves. Between 70-85% of inducible genes were found to be regulated by the jasmonate pathway. We also compared transcription in Arabidopis in response to larvae of the specialist Pieris rapae, and a generalist insect, Spodoptera littoralis.This study provides a robustly characterized gene set for the further investigation of plant-insect interaction.