canberrabirds

Butterfly Capers - better late than never [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

To:
Subject: Butterfly Capers - better late than never [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
From:
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 13:35:22 +1100
This is further to the Caper White/ Belenois java conversation at the end of November which I've just caught up with. Here is some extra info from Ted Edwards on the possible migration patterns of the Caper Whites:

From: Edwards, Ted (CES, Black Mountain)
Sent:
Monday, 6 December 2010 9:56 AM
To:
'muriel story'
Subject:
RE: caper whites


 
Nobody has studied their migrations. But the usual pattern in Canberra is that sometimes there is a small migration heading S to SW in late September or early October. There is usually a much larger migration in late November or early December heading approx NE. This Dec migration normally heads S out at places like Narrandera and Griffith, then swings round somewhere in Victoria and some at least head NE back through Canberra.
 
The caterpillars of the butterflies feed on Capparis and Apophyllum. These plants occur no further south than Newcastle on the coast and Griffith in the mid-west of NSW. (And the northern Flinders Ranges in SA).
 
The butterflies breed in large numbers in central Northern NSW (Narrabri, Moree) but more commonly in western Qld and this must be the source of most of the butterflies. So the ones you see have probably flown of the order of 1000 km already and probably more.
 
No one knows any of this exactly. This is all surmise based on casual observations. No one knows why. There are other stories for Qld, NT and SA.
 
Cheers
Ted
Ecosystem Sciences
CSIRO BLACK MOUNTAIN
 
 




Butterfly capers.
from [John Layton]

To:
"Canberra Birds" < m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");>>
Subject:
Butterfly capers.
From:
"John Layton" < m("bigpond.com","johnlayton2");>>
Date:
Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:46:05 +1100


Steve Holliday writes:

Denis is correct, they are Caper Whites, a classic migration happening at the moment, biggest numbers I have seen for a long time. There were also thousands through Cowra-Wellington-Tamworth areas a couple of weeks ago.

Do we know where they’re from. where they’re bound? I can’t find this information in any of our books.

John Layton.



Butterfly capers.
from [Denis Wilson]

To:
"John Layton" < m("bigpond.com","johnlayton2");>>, "Canberra Birds" < m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");>>
Subject:
Butterfly capers.
From:
"Denis Wilson" < m("bigpond.com","deniswilson23");>>
Date:
Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:15:48 +1100


Their migration patterns are discussed in my blog posting,
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2010/11/caper-white-butterflies-have-taken-over.html
with links in there to Don  Herbison-Evans's website.
 
Cheers
 
Denis
www.peonyden.blogspot.com


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