Catopsilia pyranthe (White Migrant)

Other Common names

Common Migrant, Freckled White, Mottled Emigrant

Notes

This was a butterfly I’d managed to miss seeing on several trips to Queensland. I probably did see some, but not being used to seeing so many Pierids flying round I wasn’t sure which one was which species, so I didn’t count them as sightings unless I got identifiable photos.
I finally got a definite sighting at Lawson in late 2009, but no photo unfortunately.

I saw quite a few around Brisbane and Leyburn in February 2010, but wasn’t able to get photos without cheating. Like too many Pierids, they’re hard to approach, and once they start flying they tend to want to keep going. This particular species also has the annoying habit of teasing the unsuspecting photographer; letting him get almost close enough for a shot before flying off. Eventually my mate Alecks caught one, stunned it, and put it on a bush so I could photograph it. That’s why its legs are sticking out at funny angles. 

At last, in March 2010 at Knapsack Park, I was able to get a couple of shots of a male feeding from lantana flowers. It’s nice to have photos of a butterfly that doesn’t look as if it’s been glued to the foliage..

Sightings

Lawson – November 2009
Leyburn, Qld – February 2010
Knapsack Park – March 2010
Leura, Blue Mountains – May 2010

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