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Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) Painted Lady
10 2 2 2 created development of heavy rain-clouds resulting in strong hail and
rains; three intensive rain-events were recorded in southern Israel-Jordan
Arava on 25-26 Oct., 4 Nov. and 12 Nov. 2015. Synoptic charts showed up Ubiquitous, cosmopolitan species, which is known to hilltop
to 30 mm of rainfall for every three hours. At some spots 2.5 mm of rain and exhibit a degree of territorial behaviour. Due to its supreme
per second were measured. The summary of the 25-26 Oct. rain event long-range migration capability, its use of numerous hostplants
as was measured by many miniature rain meters present local rainfall
# from several families, very short mating time of 15-20 minutes
of up to 286% of the 22 mm average annual rainfall for Eilat. Additional
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini reduces its vulnerability, fast “exponential” multiplication rate
two rain events in November 2015 brought the total rainfall during these based on the capacity of a female to lay up to 500 eggs, adults
Ļ 12 three weeks to three times the annual average for this southern desert longevity, the ability of the larva to protect itself from predators
12
12
12
1 1
Ļ Ļ Ļ (illustr. 6). The soil could not absorb such amount of water resulting in
Ļ by enclosing itself in a leaf-pod and adults risk-sharing strategy to
Ļ Ļ huge floods at all the southern wadis. The floods accumulated at the expand in different directions until it finds the proper hostplants–
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Yellow
Arava depressions creating huge temporary shallow lakes (illustr. 7).
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Cyan
Ļ Ļ 1.2 – Germination of huge “carpets” of hostplants dominated by Malva rich biotopes make V. cardui the most widespread butterfly in the
parviflora L. (Malvaceae) especially in all the flat flooded depressions world.
Ļ Additional data is necessary to understand this exceptional
Ļ and valleys (illustr. 8). phenomenon: a) Energy - the “engine-fuel” for thousands km HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DGXOW
© Dubi Benyamini /RFDO ʆʆ IURP 6LQDL RYHUZLQWHULQJ VLWHV DQG PLJUDQWV IURP WKH VRXWK cross-continents over-seas long migration tracks is stored in the lar v a
pupa
e.g. Red Sea W Coast and farther south laid up to 500 eggs each on all cardui’s fat body and is composed of short-term sugars collected
133
1 13
3
13 available LHPs, even on crucifers e.g. Diplotaxis hara (Brassicaceae). by adults from flowers and the major condensed lipids – fuel
1.4 – Tens of thousands cardui larvae were observed in all the green that was collected and produced in the larval stage. b) Tolls – its
overgrown areas, suffering low ~ 5% loss to the common Braconidae random or “programmed” spreading in different directions during
parasitoid Cotesia vanessae. Emerging adults divided; some stayed to the high season migration period may cost lives of considerable
produce local F2 and fewer others migrated northwards. percentage of a given swarm but unlike the Monarchs (Danaus
2. Second brood (F2) – the big intermediate multiplication towards the plexippus) where such data is known, we are still too early in
swarm build-up – early January until mid-February 2016: understanding cardui expanding – migration strategy. However,
2.1 – First brood adults that emerged in late Dec. and early Jan. in S we have already witnessed migrations in “wrong”, possibly
© Dubi Benyamini Arava and Uvda Valleys mated and laid eggs again in the same biotopes doomed directions.
on the same hostplants to produce the second brood. There are many reliable reports of its migrations and specimens
2.2 – F1 laid millions of eggs in the same southern biotopes, they still did have even been encountered at sea, as they land to rest on
not migrate northwards because it was too early in season. ships or flying beside vessels (Oz & Ziv, 2019). In the Levant,
2.3 – In Ka A Saidin DB counted 11 larval leaf-pods on 20X20 cm which is V. cardui regularly migrates to the north/north-west from March
275 larvae per one square meter (illustr. 9). At the end of February when and on, occasionally in tens of millions (Benyamini, 2019b; John,
Malvaceae hostplants were on shorter supply, the hungry larvae moved 2001), with smaller numbers, never in swarms, southwards in the
to other LHP families, we saw them everywhere many outside sheltering
© Dubi Benyamini autumn after September, resting on the ground with wings half or
leaf-pods and indeed they paid up to 30% toll to their larval parasitoids fully open. The adult population can fluctuate from area to area
and also to Pteromalus puparum specialized pupal parasitoid. Non-stop and from year to year, sometimes abundant, sometimes hardly
tilting pupae that tried to avoid parasitizing by this parasitoid was a seen. In the Levant’s deserts, it can be seen at every oasis and
common view. at every significant vegetated area.
2.4 - In mid-February to early March the emerging F2 flew northwards to
© Dubi Benyamini
the Northern Negev green and fully developed hostplants that were ready
to accept them. %LRORJ\
3. Third brood (F3) swarms of millions Painted Lady butterflies migrate
© Dubi Benyamini northwards/north-westwards to N Levant, Cyprus and Europe – mid
© Dubi Benyamini larvae concealed in malva's leaf-pods )OLJKW SHULRG year round, -390 m (bsl) at the Dead Sea coast
February to mid April 2016. to 2814 m on top of the Anti-Lebanon ridge at Mt Hermon peak
3.1 – Northern Negev at the south of Israel Mediterranean zone that gets
14
14
144
14
14 between 200-300 mm average annual rainfall are green every year and – hilltopping specimens were recorded there on 15.6.1974
(Benyamini, pers. obs.).
are ready to accept carduis should they arrive from the south. The 2016
was a good rainy year in N Negev and the Malva LHP attained over one /LIH KLVWRU\ For such a famous and common butterfly the courting Mt Herm , , 1 400 0 m 11 1 .5 19 99 9 6 6 a b . gi -caspi , B
gil
mon
mo
Mt Hermon, 1400 m, 11.5.1996 ab. gil-caspi, Benyamini 2021
m,
11
.5.
meter height. It was DB’s big luck that his visit to Hirbet Za’ak 400 m asl and mating is nearly unknown and very few people observed it in
at Lahav Hills N Negev on 16 Feb. 2016 coincided with the arrivals of cop. Mrs Nili Shahar (Kidron, Israel) was a professional breeder
thousands cardui F2s from the south (illustr. 10). of cardui; it enabled her to find that courting and mating are
© Dubi Benyamini 3.2 - The southern hill slope with a 95X50 m (GPS measurement) patch relatively short and may last 15-20 minutes, while the “shy”
of Malva parviflora (illustr. 11) attracted the females that aligned in couple is well hidden unnoticed inside vegetation (pers. comm.
5 5 5 dishes of the plants upper surface where they found windless preferred to DB). In the Negev a rare in cop. couple were photographed un
laying places. On 5X5 meters DB counted 40 laying females (illustr. 12). noticed & camouflaged on rock by Uri Mintzker (EF pers. comm. –
Counting the Malvas just on this patch DB found between 880 to 1536 illustr. 1). Polyvoltine, eggs are laid singly or up to ~ ten per female
plants for every square meter and it total over 4.5 million hostplants and during swarm build up periods, mainly on the upper surfaces of Nor thw ar d sm igr ati ng spe cim en n n tha ta rri ve d fr om
Northwards migrating specimen that arrived from adjacent N Hejaz
n
n
for the whole hill with additional LHP patches at least 15 million plants. the hostplant’s leaves. During migration several females may lay (NW Saudi-Arabia) or from southern Arabian Peninsula
3.3 - Every female laid up to ten eggs on the upper surface of a leaf (and on preferred leaves thus reaching hundreds of eggs on certain
sometimes a few below) before proceeding to the next one. A large leaf leaves (Benyamini, 2017g - see below & illustr. 2). The eggs are
of 11.8 cm diameter with numerous eggs was taken to the lab where 974 0.6 mm in height, green with 16 vertical ribs. On emerging, the
eggs were counted on the upper-side and 72 in the underside. The total larva is 1.5 mm long, hairy, brown with a glossy black head. In
of 1046 eggs just for one leaf (illustr. 13) is the best explanation how early instars, the larva is concealed within a silken shelter on the
one hill can produce a swarm of hundreds of millions cardui migrants. leaf, feeding openly only in the final instar. The mature larva is
DB counted average ±30 leaves on every fully grown Malva. So the max. 30-45 mm long, black with yellow lines on the sides and the body Northwards migrating specimen along W Red Sea Coast that
possible eggs for this hill alone is 30X1045X15000000 = over 470
© unkown photografer from the internet covered with rows of black or yellow spines. The suspended pupa originated from nearby E Sudan or further south in NE or E Africa
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