Male or female?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:09 pm
Don't worry, I haven't gone mad - I know this butterfly is African Migrant, seen recently on the island of Tenerife.
However, I'd like to know if there is someone with more experience of this butterfly than me (I have only ever seen 6 individuals) who can maybe confirm (or rebut) the conclusion I have been edging towards.
I saw three males in Tenerife last year, and I thought this year's three were males too, given that they were a creamy white colour in flight.
One of this year's three was seen nectaring on an ornamental plant:
Those unh discal markings I have circled in blue look like those depicted in Tolman for the female, in contrast to the single spot in the male:
The small tear in the hindwing shows a creamy white upperside, although Tolman states that female sometimes greenish-white, resembling male.
Another individual was seen around the cassia shrubs nearby. Unlike last year's males, this individual kept alighting on the lhp, although never for more than a few seconds. I thought this was strange because this upperside captured accidentally when the butterfly took to the air clearly shows the coloration of the male:
When reviewing my images, this one showed what looks to be ovipositing behaviour which would explain the frequent stops on the lhp:
I believe both the above to be females, rather than males. Is anyone able to shed more light on this?
However, I'd like to know if there is someone with more experience of this butterfly than me (I have only ever seen 6 individuals) who can maybe confirm (or rebut) the conclusion I have been edging towards.
I saw three males in Tenerife last year, and I thought this year's three were males too, given that they were a creamy white colour in flight.
One of this year's three was seen nectaring on an ornamental plant:
Those unh discal markings I have circled in blue look like those depicted in Tolman for the female, in contrast to the single spot in the male:
The small tear in the hindwing shows a creamy white upperside, although Tolman states that female sometimes greenish-white, resembling male.
Another individual was seen around the cassia shrubs nearby. Unlike last year's males, this individual kept alighting on the lhp, although never for more than a few seconds. I thought this was strange because this upperside captured accidentally when the butterfly took to the air clearly shows the coloration of the male:
When reviewing my images, this one showed what looks to be ovipositing behaviour which would explain the frequent stops on the lhp:
I believe both the above to be females, rather than males. Is anyone able to shed more light on this?