Page 126 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Pieridae
DISTRIBUTION Eastern Australia
HABITAT Montane rain forests in the north and coastal rain forests
in the south
HOST PLANTS Mistletoe (Amyema spp., Muellerina spp.)

NOTE Gregarious caterpillar from a species-rich butterfly genus
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common

ADULT WINGSPAN
2⁄ in (56 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1½ in (38 mm)
DELIAS NIGRINA
BLACK JEZEBEL
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(FABRICIUS, 1775)

Black Jezebel caterpillars hatch in batches of up to 90 and feed
gregariously. Their development time is synchronous within
the batch and takes three to five weeks depending on the
temperature. High temperatures can be detrimental to their
survival. Caterpillars descend on silken threads if disturbed,
ascending the thread later to resume feeding. The larvae pupate
singly, usually on the mistletoe food plant but occasionally on
the host tree. The pupae are attached in an upright position via
a silken girdle and the hooklike cremaster.

Several generations are completed annually, with the adult
butterflies being more common in the winter months,
particularly in tropical and subtropical locations. The adults are
occasionally migratory in the fall and have been recorded well
outside their normal breeding areas. The large, colorful Delias
genus contains at least 165 species, which originated in Australia

The Black Jezebel caterpillar is cylindrical and spread to Southeast Asia and India.
and colored olive green or dark brown,
with a row of dorsolateral yellow spots from
which arise long, white hairs. The head is
black with white hairs.

Actual size