Butterfly: Caper White

[ptiloris]

The beginning of October has brought with it an influx of migrating Caper White butterflies.
This specimen was photographed at the Minnippi Parklands in Tingalpa, Brisbane, Queensland.
UBD Refidex Street Directory: Map 162 B15.

Note: The Genus and species names are as per the latest edition of "The Complete Field Guide to
Butterflies of Australia", Michael F Braby, CSIRO Publishing 2004.
This varies from "Butterflies of Australia Field Edition", I F B Common & D F Waterhouse 1982 which
lists this species as 'Anaphaeis Java'.

The latter publication is probably the one that most field observers have been using so I will leave
it to each individual to decide on which scientific name they use.
I am relatively new to butterfly observing and will go with Braby.

At a distance this species can look, to my eyes, like one of the Delias 'Jezebels'.
This species normally breeds in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales where migration
involves huge numbers.
However, the Caper White can appear over most of Australia even in areas where the larval food does
not grow.

Bob Inglis
Woody Point
Queensland
Australia