Belenois aurota but you can call me common
This beautiful butterfly is known by several names, including Pioneer White, Brown-veined White Butterfly and, for those who speak a mixture of Greek and Latin, Belenois Aurora. But, whichever name you prefer, it is South Africa’s most common butterfly.
Apart from looking pretty as they flit from flower to flower, they have an interesting backstory. The Pioneer White has a lifespan of only 10 to 14 days. They suck nectar from flowers through a long proboscis to obtain sugar and water – their energy drink in human terms. And you’ll sometimes find a group of males sitting on a wet, muddy patch or shallow puddle, drinking water to absorb sodium, salts and minerals not available from flowers. Believe it or not, they call this behaviour puddling – while we call it pubbing.
The butterflies lay their eggs in batches on the Shepherd's tree or wild caper bushes on which the hatched caterpillars feed ferociously – sometimes stripping them of all their leaves. The caterpillars live for about three to five weeks before pupating – a stage that then lasts seven to ten days after which they emerge as adult butterflies, completing the cycle.
But they’re not harmful to the fruit or vegetables we eat, unlike the cabbage white ( butterfly) or cabbage moth. The butterfly is active during the day and the moth at night. Both do serious damage to plants and I’ve personally lost an entire veggie patch to the butterflies. And to think I thought them so pretty.
Another interesting aspect of the Pioneer White is that they migrate – usually during December and January – often from the Karoo to the coastlands. Quite a lot to do during the short 10 to 14 days you’ve got at your disposal. Remember, you’ve got to consume energy drinks, do a bit of puddling, find a mate and, well, mate – and still find time for a trip down to the sea.
They say that when a butterfly sits on you it’s a symbol of transformation, personal growth and new beginnings. I sat for about an hour taking this picture and several others. None of the butterflies sat on me.
Guess I’m just not going to change and I’m going nowhere.
Very interesting story.