Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 26 March 2008)
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The Caterpillar is dark green, with pale yellow lateral stripes decorated with groups of blue dots. The Caterpillar has a pale green head, and grows to a length of about 4 cms.
Note that the process of drying and blowing Caterpillars to preserve them is inclined to alter the colours somewhat. The Caterpillar feeds on species from the family CAESALPINIACEAE :
The Caterpillar rests with its head and thorax lifted in the air, resembling a twig.
The pupa is suspended from a twig of the foodplant by cremaster and girdle. It has a length of about 3 cms.
The adults have a wingspan of about 6 cms. The male has forewings that are white with black edges, and has hindwings that are deep yellow.
The female has forewings that are pale yellow, with a subterminal arc of brown spots. The hindwings of the female are yellow.
Female
(Specimen: courtesy of the
The Australian Museum)
The wings are yellow underneath, with dark spots that can have white centres, and that are more marked in the female than the male.
The eggs are pale yellow and taller than wide. They are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.
The species occurs in New Caledonia, New Guinea, and along the middle of eastern seaboard of Australia, including
Butterflies of this species may be purchased for release at weddings etc.
Female underside
(Specimens: courtesy of the
The Australian Museum)
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 294-296.
Dennis Bell,
Notes on a Yellow Migrant Catopsilia gorgophone
population in Brisbane,
and
John Moss,
The confusing foodplants of the Yellow Migrant,
Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club Newsletter,
Number 30, September 2003, pp. 4-7.
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