Although the white peacock butterfly has been spotted in the Lagoon Trail gardens, it has been a rare occasion. The white peacock prefers weedy fields.

Adults usually fly within a few feet of the ground and land to feed on low-growing vegetation.

As seen in the photographs, the adults are white with a bluish hue. Margins of the fore and hind wings are bordered with orange and brown ribbing. There is a black spot on each forewing and two black spots on each hind wing.

Females are larger and have broader wings than the males. They lay their pale yellow eggs singly on a variety of host plants including fog fruit (Lippia incisa) and water hyssop (Bacopa monniera). Fog fruit is growing in the Ecotone Trail gardens.

Caterpillars are charcoal gray with small silvery white spots and orange and black, branched spines.

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Links:

Index to Butterfly and Moth Visitors to the Conservancy Ecotone Trail

Index To Photographs of Plants in the Gardens

Plant Lists by Garden

Conservancy of Southwest Florida Ecotone Home Page

Conservancy of Southwest Florida Home Page.

Please report errors to Susan Snyder at susanleachsnyder@gmail.com