Page 121 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Pieridae
DISTRIBUTION Much of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji,
and Indonesia (Java, West Papua)
HABITAT Wherever food plants grow in tropical, subtropical, and
temperate areas, including the arid zone of central Australia
HOST PLANTS Caper bushes (Capparis spp.) and Currant Bush
(Apophyllum anomalum)
NOTE Caterpillar that can defoliate plants, including commercial
caper crops
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common

ADULT WINGSPAN
2⅛ in (55 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1⁵∕₁₆ in (34 mm)
BELENOIS JAVA
CAPER WHITE 119

(LINNAEUS, 1768)

Caper White caterpillars hatch in clusters of up to 100 individuals
and feed gregariously on the leaves of caper bushes, leaving
only the midrib. The caterpillars complete their development in
about three weeks. Although many larvae die, particularly as a

result of disease and parasitism from tachinid flies, over a season
complete defoliation of a large tree can occur, with hundreds
of butterflies produced from a single tree. Other nearby trees

may remain unaffected. The caterpillars can be minor pests in
commercial caper crops.

Caterpillars pupate on the leaves and stems of the food plants but
might leave a defoliated plant to pupate. The pupa is attached to
the plant via a silken central girdle and anal hooks into a silken
pad. Adults migrate particularly during late spring, often flying

hundreds of miles over a few days. The genus is large and mainly
found in tropical Africa and Southwest Asia, with only this
species occurring in Southeast Asia and Australia.

The Caper White caterpillar is cylindrical,
brown or olive green with numerous small,
yellow, raised dots on the head and body from
which arise a fringe of white hairs. The head is
black with a white, inverted V-shaped mark.
Actual size