Wood White (Delias aganippe)

This freshly emerged male has a red and yellow dotted pattern resembling the toxic mistletoe flowers of the host food plant. The first of two lifecycles begins in about September and stages are documented in this series.

comments (11)

Vodkaman

Lion

Delias are wonderful butterflies, with a strong following of collectors. I am not a collector myself, but they are a terrific source of ID information.

Good job with the full set of images.

Dave Posted 9 years ago
1. Martin Lagerwey
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks Dave. This is one of the most southern species and hard to acquire. Therefore they seldom occur in collections. They like to hilltop and fly high. I have collected and contained a clutch of eggs for this series. Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. Vodkaman
    
    Lion
    
    I have noticed the high flying thing also, making them very difficult to get a shot. I only have two or three myself.
    
    Have to say, I am impressed with the 'set' work that you are doing.
    
    DAve Posted 9 years ago
  2. 1. Martin Lagerwey
      
      Lion
      
      Dave, the local zoo has a very large enclosure with indigenous butterflies on display. This project is excellent with butterflies sometimes alighting on lucky visitors. When they used to stock Delias species, they sulk in the highest corner of the glass or mesh ceilings and are entirely unsuitable for captivity. This is one denus they do not use. On hilltops, they tail each other following in strings of ascending corkscrew patterns, they break away at very high altitude and assemble again for a repeat performance. Some performances of nature are immensely notable. Posted 9 years ago, modified 9 years ago
    2. 1. Vodkaman
        
        Lion
        
        I visit the butterfly house at Singapore airport when I am on my visa runs. Plenty of butterflies, but the range of species was very disappointing, I expected a lot more. But, in realistic terms, you have to provide the host plant for each species, so there is a lot more to it than introducing a few butterflies - I wish I worked there.
        
        Dave Posted 9 years ago
      2. Martin Lagerwey
        
        Lion
        
        Let me suggest that some job applications are for jobs that do not yet exist. :) Posted 9 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Another super useful post, Mark, thank you for sharing! Posted 9 years ago
1. Martin Lagerwey
  
  Lion
  
  Yes it's great to have the whole lifestage.
  The previous year I collected ladybird eggs by mistake (they look similar) and the carnivorous larvae ate all my butterfly larvae.
  Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    That's both funny and sad. Posted 9 years ago

Doris Charles

Bullet Ant

Gorgeous butterfly lovely coloured wings Martin. Posted 9 years ago
1. Martin Lagerwey
  
  Lion
  
  The wings mimic the mistletoe flowers which are toxic. Mistletoe in Australia is a very different plant to the popular northern hemisphere species. Posted 9 years ago