Ringed Xenica, Geitoneura acantha Canberra Nature Map
Are you curious about what flutters around on Mt Majura? Enjoy an easy, informative walk on Sunday, 2nd February, with Dr Suzi Bond, biologist, butterfly expert, and author of A Field Guide to Butterflies of the ACT.
When: Sunday 2nd February; 10 am to 12noon; note: the walk be cancelled if it is raining.
Meet: at the dirt car park at the nature park entrance off Antill Street, Hackett close to a classic concrete Canberra bus stop; click on this map
Bring: Sun protection, drinking water and appropriate clothing and shoes for the weather and bush, binoculars or cameras with a zoom function if you have them, and gold coin donation.
The following book and website are excellent resources to identify our local butterflies:
1. Bond, Suzi, Holliday, Steve and Stein, John (2016). Field Guide to the butterflies of the Australian Capital territory. National Parks Association of the ACT Inc, Canberra.
2. Canberra Nature Map, https://canberra.naturemapr.org/
The caterpillars of the Imperial Jezebel, Delias harpalyce feed on Mistetoe plants; as they grow, the larvae shed the skin until they undergo a final shed to form the …
The colorful butterflies on wings we see are the mature adult insects which mate and sexually reproduce the species.
As they have many natural enemies, they often live only a few days or weeks.
The butterflies spend most of their life as immature larva, the caterpillars, and pupa (chrysalis).
The adult butterfly feed on the nectar of flowering plants.
The larvae are often dependent on special food plants onto which female butterflies lay the eggs.
Some butterflies form stunning symbiotic relationships with ants. Butterflies often act as “flagships” or indicators for the identification and preservation of critical habitat under threat.
… pupae (left) out of which, after a remarkable transformation, the adult Jezebel emerges (Photos H. Cross, Canberra Nature Map)
