Mylothris trimenia

Description

Mylothris trimenia, the Trimen's dotted border, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found in South Africa, on the wet side of the Winterberg escarpment from the East Cape to the coast. It is also found in KwaZulu-Natal and the Limpopo Province. The wingspan is 45–50 millimetres (1.8–2.0 in). Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas, with a peak from October to April. In cooler areas it is only on the wing from October to April. The larvae feed on Tapinanthus - T. oleifolius and T. kraussianus. The eggs are laid in clusters on the undersides of the leaves of the host plant. They are watery white with a coating of a glutinous, yellow substance. The larvae emerge from the side of the egg and eat the discarded shell. They are gregarious and usually sit side by side on the leaves of the food plant. There are five larval instars. Mature larvae drop to the ground on silken threads and scatter to various places to pupate.