Interesting or Unusual Behaviour

[Mel]

Interesting sighting for sure, SM

[Richprins]

[steamtrainfan]

I came across something in my garden late this afternoon and am posting 15 photos of this sighting. Please feel free to delete any that you feel I may have overdone the posting or are not necessary. I am rather inclined to overdo the posting of photos.

All photos taken with my normal 18 - 105mm Nikkor lens. Wish I had a macro lens.

Late this afternoon I came across a beautiful butterfly that seemed to be struggling to open its wings. I ran off to fetch Joans camera and started taking some photos. The butterfly was still trying to open his wings as I could clearly see the jerky movements of his wings. After a while he managed to open his wings and then went on a walkabout. As this is the late evening shade I put my finger in front of him and he climbed up onto my finger. I took him to a small aloe we have where I thought he might get some nectar. This aloe was in lovely late evening sun so I started firing off more shots wishing that I had a macro lens. As I was clicking away a bee came into the picture and proceeded to buzz from flower to flower.

Now let the photos tell the story.































It is now 21:20 and he is still sitting on the aloe.

Hope I did the right in moving him.

[Toko]

It is a Wandering Donkey Acraea Acraea neobule neobule

but I don't know what it is up to some butterflies are ground hugging fliers, maybe it does not like the aloe and you bring it back to the ground

[steamtrainfan]

Thanks very much for the ID Toko.

If it is still in the aloe tomorrow morning I will place back where I found it.

[steamtrainfan]

This morning he was still on the aloe.

As he would not climb onto my finger again I snapped off the flower he was on and placed it on the lawn near the spot where I found him.

I went and checked 30 minutes later and he was gone.

[Toko]

Strange

[Richprins]

stf!

[Sprocky]

2014-01-12

Johannesburg - Clouds of white butterflies have started to descend on Joburg as part of their annual migration from South Africa to Madagascar.

According to the Sunday Times, Earle Whiteley, a director of Conservation of Butterflies in South Africa, said the Belenoi aurota, commonly known as vrown-veined white butterflies, hatch along the West Coast from Cape Town towards Namibia and then migrate inland in a north-easterly direction.

He said the swarms have now reached Gauteng and would soon head towards Mozambique before crossing the sea to Madagascar.

He said the further north they go, the bigger the cloud of butterflies grows – eventually reaching up to 1km into the air. The female butterflies however lay eggs along the route, which in turn would begin the next life cycle.

[Toko]

should read Brown-veined White Belenois aurota

These news editing guys obviously do not bother to check the facts first and look up what they are talking about