RE: Wollongong, NSW Pelagic Trip Report 25th OCTOBER 1998

["Conole, Lawrie" <>]

> Also of interest was the massive Bogong Moth migration
> along with many Caper White and other Butterlies.
>
There were countless thousands of Caper Whites (Anapheis java) in northern
and central Victoria over the last two weekends.  We found big clusters of
them 'roosting' in mallee heath vegetation at Bendigo in the evenings, after
seeing huge flocks of them flying during the day.  It's my understanding
that in Victoria they're wind-blown by northerlies, rather than a migration
strictly speaking.  There are no indigenous food plants for them in the
parts of Victoria they get blown to.  It looks like a bit of a bumper season
for some butterflies - Australian Painted Ladies (Vanessa kershawi) are VERY
common around my home in inner Melbourne (Fitzroy North) this spring too.

Any lepidopterists online to comment??


Lawrie Conole
Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia
37°46'57"S  144°58'45"E

Tel AH +61 3 9486 4575

http://www.users.bigpond.com/ocoineoil/