Metamorphosis for the CAPER WHITE BUTTERFLY Belenois java
Home>Metamorphosis for the CAPER WHITE BUTTERFLY Belenois java
2020 was a great year to see swarms of caper white butterflies in the Adelaide region and beyond.
Helen Wilmore’s curiosity for biological processes and how creatures grow and develop resulted in her patiently photographing all stages of the caper white life cycle, from egg laying through to a new butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, drying its wings and warming itself ready for its first flight.
Female butterfly laying eggs
A cluster of newly laid eggs on a Capparis spinosa leaf
Eggs appear pale orange as caterpillars develop inside
Black heads of caterpillars close to hatching can be seen inside the eggs
Newly hatched caterpillars eat their own egg shells
First instar caterpillars turn greenish-brown after feeding on the host plant
Early instar caterpillars arch upwards and the skin separates at the 'neck' prior to shedding
Caterpillars leave newly shed skins on the leaf
Young caterpillars group together
Caterpillars lining up in rows on a leaf
The caper white caterpillar has distinctive features
A caterpillar weakened by extreme heat falls prey to an ant
The caterpillar's posterior end is attached to a leaf and skin shedding begins
Squeezing out of its old skin
The old 'face' comes off and the new 'face' gradually turns black
Caterpillar and its old skin
Caterpillar growing bigger
Caterpillar growing bigger
Caterpillar growing bigger
Late instar caterpillar with poison-tipped setae (hairs)
Final instar caterpillar
Final instar caterpillar
The final instar caterpillar stops eating and wanders to find somewhere to pupate
The caterpillar's body shortens as it prepares for pupation
Prior to pupation the caterpillar turns reddish-brown
The caterpillar moves its head from left to right to attach itself with silk
The caterpillar hangs around and undergoes further changes before pupating
Caterpillar ready to pupate
The caterpillar sheds its last skin and turns into a pupa
The newly formed pupa already resembles a butterfly
A pupa, or chrysalis, will flip from one side to the other when disturbed
The underside of a pupa showing a network of silk with three main attachment points
Caper white chrysalises come in a variety of colours
A chrysalis casing starting to crack as the butterfly prepares to emerge
A butterfly begins to emerge
A butterfly begins to emerge
A butterfly begins to emerge
A butterfly emerging
A butterfly emerging
The emerging butterfly secretes red-coloured meconium containing waste materials
The emerging butterfly secretes red-coloured meconium containing waste materials
The emerging butterfly secretes red-coloured meconium containing waste materials
A newly emerged butterfly
The newly emerged butterfly has crumpled wings
The newly emerged butterfly has crumpled wings
Empty chrysalis case with red-coloured meconium from the newly emerged butterfly
A butterfly hangs upside-down as its wings expand
A butterfly hangs upside-down as its wings expand
The butterfly's wings need to fully expand before they dry and harden
The butterfly's wings need to fully expand before they dry and harden
Newly emerged butterfly preparing for flight as it warms up
Newly emerged butterfly preparing for flight as it warms up
The butterfly's compound eyes can see in many directions
