The MGS Forum

Gardening in mediterranean climates => Wildlife in the garden (birds, butterflies, and how to attract them) => Topic started by: JTh on April 13, 2015, 02:20:41 PM

Title: Eucchloe ausonia - Eastern Dappled White
Post by: JTh on April 13, 2015, 02:20:41 PM

I have never seen this butterfly before, it is quite small, green with yellow speckles and fairly large, white spots.

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8767/17112258665_95680308bd_m.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/s59Njv)
P4100116 Euchloe ausonia Eastern Dappled White.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/s59Njv) by JorunT (https://www.flickr.com/people/46063510@N03/), on Flickr

Title: Re: Eucchloe ausonia - Eastern Dappled White
Post by: MikeHardman on May 03, 2015, 10:08:12 PM

Jorun,

We get that and other related species in Cyprus. They are just a bit more interesting than your average white butterfly.
Not least because of the optical illusion...

Green is a colour made by butterflies and moths, but:
- some of the green pigments fade quickly to a straw colour (especially with emerald and bollworm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earias_insulana) moths)
- the most stable greens are achieved not by pigment but by interference/refraction/diffraction (http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/15A.html)
- the apparent green in bath whites and orange tips (as shown in your photo) is actually a mixture of yellow and black pigmented scales - giving a green effect (at least to our eyes) without resorting to structural optics and without fading

Title: Re: Eucchloe ausonia - Eastern Dappled White
Post by: JTh on May 04, 2015, 06:25:21 AM

Thank you, Mike, interesting information. The butterfly was nice, but not extremely exciting, something I had never seen  before