Page 11 - Dainfern Valley

BUTTERFLY MIGRATION
f you were driving around Johannesburg, you would have noticed THE ANNUAL MIGRATION
plenty of Brown-veined White Butterflies passing by your area!
IThat is because it was The Annual Migration which takes place in
South Africa during midsummer every year. OF THE BROWN-VEINED

In December or January, they gather in their millions, when they
migrate in a north-easterly direction. It originates in the arid regions WHITE BUTTERFLY!
of the Karoo and Kalahari. This is so that they can ensure their survival
because they are cold-blooded creatures and cannot handle the cold.
They also migrate from areas where it is winter because there are no
flowers, so that means there is no food.

This mass of white butterflies probably plays an important role in
pollination. People have been asked to help butterfly researchers map
the migration route of millions of Brown-Veined White butterflies as
they make their way across South Africa!
As they fly in a north-easterly direction, more and more join the flight.
They also pause to lay eggs along the way.

Little research has been done with regard to where exactly these
butterflies fly to, but they have been noticed flying above the ocean
near the Mozambique coast and Madagascar, where at the end of their
journey, they most probably fall into the sea. Luckily their eggs have
been deposited along the way to sustain their population.
Nature is awesome!

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