Mystery surrounds white butterflies fluttering through Johannesburg | Saturday Star

Johannesburg - Like snowflakes, they’ve fluttered into the hearts of Joburg residents in the past few days, but the annual “migration” of pioneer caper whites is still clouded in some mystery. Reinier Terblanche, a member of the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa , who is researching pioneer caper whites , has discovered the butterflies are genetically pre-programmed to disperse: individuals coded for dispersal have different coloured pupae.

LepSoc Africa says while the amount of pioneer caper whites filling the skies varies each year, it estimates the number currently on the wing extends into the billions. The current “migration” of the butterflies - at least in the Joburg area - seems to be the largest since 1966, says Jeremy Dobson, chairperson of LepSoc Africa.

The butterfly, also known as the brown-veined white in South Africa, occurs in southern Asia as far east as the Himalayas, in southern Arabia and most of sub-Saharan Africa.

Birds, lizards and other animals are having their sardine run too more like the biblical manna from heaven

Not only JHB but also part of Northern KwaZulu Natal

In our culture white butterflies are sign of rain/peace ie in Tshivenda

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