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Southern Pearl White (Elodina angulipennis)

Southern Pearl White

Appearance: Upperside white with extended, black apical patch. Fore wing underside white with small, dark subapical patch and yellow basal suffusion. Hind wing underside white with normally five small, faint, dark spots. Very similar to other species of Pearl White.
Wingspan: 3.5–4.0 cm
Season: Several generations all around the year.
Range: South-eastern QLD and eastern NSW south to about Sydney.
Habitat: Rainforest and monsoon forest. Also in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
Photo: Sydney, NSW, 25 / 04 / 2009.

Notes

The Southern Pearl White is a common and widespread species in rainforests and monsoon forests across eastern Australia. During warm and sunny weather the butterflies continuously flutter near the food plants and hardly ever settle. They occasionally feed from flowers.

There are several very similar species of Pearl White across QLD and eastern NSW. The Southern Pearl White usually can be distinguished from these through details in the shape and extent of the black apical patch on the fore wing upperside and the dark subapical patch on the fore wing underside.

Additional Photos

Southern Pearl White
Underside. Note the dark subapical patch and yellow basal suffusion on the fore wing. (Sydney, NSW, 25 / 04 / 2009)
Southern Pearl White
Another view of the underside. (Sydney, NSW, 10 / 04 / 2010)
Southern Pearl White
The butterflies only fly during sunshine and otherwise rest in the vegetation. (Sydney, NSW, 10 / 04 / 2010)
Southern Pearl White
The tiny, elongated, white eggs are attached to the underside of leaves of the food plant. (Sydney, NSW, 10 / 04 / 2010)