Checkered White oviposting on pepperweed

Was at the ranch on Saturday. Saw a Checkered White laying eggs. Glad I had my plant field guide with me too...because I realized it was using native 'lentejilla' - pepperweed (lepidium virginicum). The back fields are filled with it. Have noticed a handful or two of CWs flitting around the fields but never much paid attention to them until I saw one oviposting :o)

I dug up a couple of pepperweed and put them in pots and brought them home. There are a few eggs on each plant. I have to use a magnifying glass to find them!!! Will leave them be for a while and hopefully in a week or two I'll be able to see caterpillars.

~ Cat

Had to darker the photo as the white of the butterfly got washed out by the sunlight :o)

I also think that's a yellow egg on the top left - about three leaves down


This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 1:05 AM

...another photo... ~ Cat

..a Checkered White egg ~ Cat

Oh, Cat! That is sooooo neat! We are supposed to get the CW here too, but I've never seen one. How exciting!!!!!

Aha!!! Was looking over the plants and found numerous caterpillars and even a chrysalis!! Woohoo!!!

~ Cat

...and the chrysalis. ~ Cat

Yep! They look very similar to the Great Southern Whites that I raise a few months ago! Boy! Your butterfly cage is going to be rockin'!

Cat, we would love to see your pictures of all the stages of the Checkered White added to BugFiles. We have a few pictures of the butterfly, but none of the egg, caterpillar and chrysalis.
The BugFiles entry is here: http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/355/

Ken

The only white Butterfly I have ever seen in person was in Key West last year at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory which made for some nice pics which I'll share in the next few entries.
-Greg

I have no idea what type of Butterfly this is but I'm sure some of you experts will know:

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Last one:
-Greg

Oooooh , Greg! What a gorgeous BF! I don't know what it is off-hand, but I am sure someone here can put a name to that creature! Just lovely! Thanks for sharing your photos!!!!! :-)

Greg, those look like Large Tree Nymphs, we have them in the Houston Butterfly Conservatory, they're so pretty! They're often found in mangrove swamps in Malaysia.

Great pics!