Belenois java
{{Short description|Species of butterfly}}
{{Redirect|Common white|the moth with a similar common name|Common white wave}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Caper white
| image = Caperwhite.jpg
| taxon = Belenois java
| authority = (Sparrman, 1768){{cite web |title= Belenois java (Sparrman, 1768) - EOL |url= http://www.eol.org/pages/2866135 |accessdate=2009-10-24| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091011111901/http://eol.org/pages/2866135| archivedate= 11 October 2009 | url-status= live}}
| synonyms =
- Papilio java Linnaeus, 1768
- Papilio coronea Cramer, [1775]
- Papilio clytie Donovan, 1805
- Papilio deiopea Donovan, 1805
- Pieris niseia MacLeay, [1826]
- Belenois java ab. magniplaga Fruhstorfer, 1898
- Anaphaeis nigrita Joicey & Talbot, 1928
- Papilio teutonia Fabricius, 1775
- Belenois teutonia anita Fruhstorfer, 1903
- Pieris peristhene Boisduval, 1859
- Belenois picata Butler, 1882
- Pieris peristhene vitiensis Fruhstorfer, 1902
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision =
- B. j. java (Indonesia)
- B. j. savuana (Savu)
- B. j. teutonia (Australia)
- B. j. ina (Indonesia)
- B. j. peristhene (Melanesia)
- B. j. picata (Melanesia)
- B. j. micronesia (Fiji){{cite web |url=http://www.ento.csiro.au/aicn/name_s/b_654.htm |title=2. Belenois java ssp. teutonia (Fabricius) |accessdate=2008-09-20 |work=Australian Insect Common Names |publisher=Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia) |date=November 11, 2004 }}
}}
Belenois java, the caper white or common white, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae found in Australia, Indonesia, and Melanesia.[http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/pieridae/pierinae/belenois/index.html Belenois], funet.fi It is highly migratory and is often confused with the cabbage white (Pieris rapae).{{cite web |title= Belenois java data sheet |url= http://users.chariot.net.au/~erg/java_ds.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040809221245/http://users.chariot.net.au/~erg/java_ds.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2004-08-09 |accessdate= 2009-10-24 }}
Identification
=Adult=
The upper surface of the male's wings are white with a broad black apical patch, the hindwing has a black terminal border. On both wings the black area encloses white dots. The under surface of the hindwing is almost exclusively black except for white and yellow patches between the veins. The wingspan on the male is 5 cm whereas the female's wingspan is larger at 6 cm. The female can vary dramatically including a pale form which looks strikingly similar to the male. The upper surface of the wings is white and have a much broader black margin. The body of both is olive green to dark brown.{{cite web| title= Belenois java (Caper white, Common white butterfly) - JCU| url= http://cms.jcu.edu.au/discovernature/butterfliescommon/JCUDEV_005701| accessdate= 2009-10-24| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091018084410/http://cms.jcu.edu.au/discovernature/butterfliescommon/JCUDEV_005701| archivedate= 18 October 2009| url-status= dead}}
File: Belenois java peristhene MHNT dos.jpg|Male - dorsal side
File: Belenois java peristhene MHNT ventre.jpg|Male - ventral side
File: Belenois java peristhene MHNT dos femelle.jpg|Female - dorsal side
File: Belenois java peristhene MHNT ventre femelle.jpg|Female - ventral side
=Immature=
The first instar of this species is pale yellow sparsely covered in long hairs. The later instars of this species are dark brownish-green with white and yellow raised spots. The head has a V-shaped white mark and is shiny black. There are two lines of hair on the side of the caterpillar's 3-cm body in its later stages. The pupa is white with black markings and is about 2.5 cm. Eggs are small and orange.{{cite web| title= Belenois java| url= http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/pier/java.html| accessdate= 2009-10-24| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091013074033/http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/pier/java.html| archivedate= 13 October 2009| url-status= dead}}
File: Belenois java on Caparris lassiantha.jpg|Larva and eggs
File:Balanois larva.jpg|Older larva
File:Balanois cocoons.jpg|Pupal cases
Balanois coupling.jpg|Mating adults
Life cycle
Eggs are laid in groups on the top of the host plant's leaves. The caterpillar feeds on currant bush (Apophyllum anomalum), scrub caper berry (Capparis arborea), dog caper (Capparis canescens), nipan (Capparis lasiantha), Australian native orange (Capparis mitchellii), wild orange (Capparis sepiaria), Australian native caper (Capparis spinosa) and bush orange (Capparis umbonata). Unlike other caterpillars of its size the B. java feeds on a fairly minimal amount of food, making it less of an agricultural pest than the others. The caterpillars feed for about three weeks until fully grown and pupate. They emerge around December in much of their range.
References
{{commons category|Belenois java}}
{{Wikispecies}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1758133}}
Category:Butterflies of Australia
Category:Butterflies described in 1768
Category:Butterflies of Oceania