Great Southern White Butterfly

"Great Southern White Butterfly"

 

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY – MY BACKYARD, FL

I found this little fellow in my backyard perched on top of a Hibiscus. This Great Southern White butterfly was captured using a Nikon D90 attached to a Tamron 28-300mm lens at 135mm. I am still amazed at how much life resides in one’s back yard!

The Great Southern White butterfly (Ascia monuste) is in the White and Sulphur family of butterflies. The Great Southern White grows to a length of approx. 2 inches and is all white above. Its forewings have black triangular markings along veins on the outer edge. In females, the forewings have an isolated black dot in the middle. Below, it is a creamy yellow.

  • Great Southern White butterfly facts
Life History: Males patrol for females. Eggs are laid on the upper surface of host plant leaves in groups of 20.

Flight: The Great White butterfly is found all year in South Texas, peninsular Florida, and along the Gulf Coast.

Caterpillar Hosts: Mustard family (Brassicaceae) plants including beach cabbage (Cakile maritima), cultivated cabbage and radish, peppergrass (Lepidium species); and plants in the caper family (Capparidaceae) including nasturtium.

Adult Food: Nectar from many species of flowers including saltwort, lantana, and verbena are food for the Great Southern White butterfly.

Habitat: The Great Southern White butterfly can be found in salt marshes, coastal dunes, open fields, and gardens.

 

 

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    5 Thoughts to “Great Southern White Butterfly”

    1. Marshall.D

      COOL PHOTO

    2. DonnaW56

      Really excellent photography

    3. San439

      Excellent photo Alan S. Hochman

    4. Jan Finestein

      great wildlife photography
      I love butterflies

    5. Just saw this one posted to Twitter, Alan. Very nice! And I am in agreement with you regarding the backyard as a great place for photos. My best hummingbird shots are all from the yard. Much longer season available to you in Florida, though!

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    Alan S Hochman Photography