Newly emerged Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
by Sinobug (itchydogimages) on Flickr.
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Asian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia, Pieridae)
Even the most common things can be beautiful…..
by Sinobug (itchydogimages) on Flickr.
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Redbase Jezebel Butterfly Caterpillars (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
The survival rate for many Lepidopteran larvae is staggering low so a common strategy is to mass-produce progeny and for them to congregate together, particularly during the earlier instar stages, to magnify any innate defences they may have, to make themselves look bigger and more imposing to a potential predator and to simply beat the odds.
Not only do these butterfly caterpillars grow up together throughout their instars, but they pupate and eclose together as well…..
This is the tenth in a series of ten posts entitled SAFETY IN NUMBERS. Click HERE to view the others….
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese caterpillars on my Flickr site HERE…..
Jezebels don’t travel far away from one another as caterpillars and consequently pupate together also. This leaf has six chrysalis on it but the surrounding remaining foliage bore a couple of dozen in total.
Because they usually pupate at the same time, often when the foodplant is defoliated, they emerge as adults synchronously also…
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Newly-emerged Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
First breath………
Newly-emerged Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Asian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia, Pieridae)
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Newly-emerged Redbase Jezebels (Delias pasithoe, Pieridae)
These Jezebels don’t travel far away from one another as caterpillars and consequently pupate together also. This leaf had eight chrysalis on it and because they usually pupate at the same time, often when the foodplant is defoliated, they emerge as adults synchronously also.
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
Redbase Jezebel (Delias pasithoe), caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies
These Jezebels don’t travel far away from one another as caterpillars and consequently pupate together also usually when the foodplant is defoliated. They emerge as adults synchronously also.
Pu’er, Yunnan, China
See more Chinese butterflies on my Flickr site HERE…..
