The European Painted Lady is a very common butterfly during the warmer summer and autumn months. They gather in large numbers on our Lavender bushes, frequent the Buddlieas and bask in the warm sun on the lawn, orchard grasses, dirt and gravel areas.
The photographs on the Lavender were taken early May, 2010, while the butterfly captured on the Buddliea was taken in March, 2011.
The European Painted Lady is a common garden butterfly throughout Albury, and up at least as far as Wagga to the north.
European Painted Lady on a Lavender bush.European Painted Lady on a Buddliea flower.
Checking the citrus for excessive butterfly eggs or caterpillars yesterday I found a couple of young Citrus Swallowtail caterpillars. They have an interesting life cycle as they grow so I’ll need to check back often. Then taking out the rubbish we managed to find a Tailed Emperor caterpillar too!
Citrus Swallowtail caterpillar feeding on a Tahitian lime treeTailed Emperor caterpillar feeding on Brachychiton acerifolius or Illawarra Flame Tree.
Common Brown Butterflies – Heteronympha merope – are both common and numerous. At this time of year only the females are left, waiting for cooler weather and green grass to lay their eggs on. In the meantime they gather in great numbers around food plants, never too far from grassy fields.
From mid to late summer you can’t walk through the paddocks without disturbing clouds of Common Browns. Butterfly strike (being flown into) is quite common.
This year they enjoyed the over-ripe figs immensely, then moved on to the buddlieas. They can often be seen basking in the sun on dirt, gravel or grass. The Common Browns also appear to be attracted to wild blackberry if they can find it, especially one growing in the shade of eucalypts.
Female Common Brown Butterfly on a fig leaf.Feeding on an over-ripe, opened fig flower.Common Browns and bees feeding on figs.
Common Browns have fast reflexes. In the time it took to click the shutter they had been startled and took off.Male Common Brown Butterflies feeding on flowering onions. December 6th, 2010.
