Yellow (Common) Albatross Appias paulina
Wingspan: 53 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: October - June
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern NT, Cape York, FNQ to Hunter River, NSW (limit of its foodplant).
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially in 2005 uncommon, increasingly becoming more common often visiting now on spring, summer and autumn days.
Migration distribution: central southern QLD, throughout coastal NSW, much of coastal VIC & northern TAS
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: seen annually
Wingspan: 53 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: October - June
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern NT, Cape York, FNQ to Hunter River, NSW (limit of its foodplant).
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially in 2005 uncommon, increasingly becoming more common often visiting now on spring, summer and autumn days.
Migration distribution: central southern QLD, throughout coastal NSW, much of coastal VIC & northern TAS
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: seen annually
Female, 24 Dec 2017
Male on Buddleia, 24 Dec 2017
Male Yellow Albatross at Claire Cottage in Dec 2015, it is feeding on Yellow Buddleia
Female feeding on Parsonsia, 6 Feb 2015
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Male Yellow Albatross, 20 Dec 2017
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Female Yellow Albatross in our garden, 20th Dec 2017
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Female Yellow Albatross in our garden, 20th Dec. 2017
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Female, 13 Jan 2018, 8.37am
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Male, 24 Dec 2017, 11.10am
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Yellow (Common) Albatross Appias paulina
Wingspan: 53 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: October - June
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern NT, Cape York, FNQ to Hunter River, NSW (limit of its foodplant).
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially in 2005 uncommon, increasingly becoming more common often visiting now on spring, summer and autumn days.
Migration distribution: central southern QLD, throughout coastal NSW, much of coastal VIC & northern TAS
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually. Initially in 2005 uncommon, becoming increasingly common over the years visiting us on many spring, summer and autumn days. A very rare winter visitor.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: seen annually
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Observations
In late summer and early autumn 2015, we saw sufficient numbers of these butterflies to believe they were migrating on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Until 2015 Appias paulina was an infrequent visitor to our garden but that year we sighted the Yellow Albatross on our property in five different months. We feel this may also be due to the increase of nectar plants in our garden.
The butterfly pictured on this page that visited us in early December 2015, appeared newly emerged suggesting it had bred nearby.
Last autumn sighting @ Claire Cottage:
22/04/18 @ 02.30pm 3 males feeding together on Parsonsia straminea flowers at the top of Memory Hill, Claire Cottage.
15/05/20 @ 12.30pm a female hill-topping on Memory Hill, Claire Cottage.
Winter sightings @ Claire Cottage
02/06/18 @ 10.30am a female feeding on Buddleia.
Wingspan: 53 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: October - June
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern NT, Cape York, FNQ to Hunter River, NSW (limit of its foodplant).
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially in 2005 uncommon, increasingly becoming more common often visiting now on spring, summer and autumn days.
Migration distribution: central southern QLD, throughout coastal NSW, much of coastal VIC & northern TAS
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually. Initially in 2005 uncommon, becoming increasingly common over the years visiting us on many spring, summer and autumn days. A very rare winter visitor.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: seen annually
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Oct 2015; Nov 2016; Dec 2015, 2017, 2020; Jan 2015, 2018; Feb 2015, 2021; Mar 2015, 2020; Apr 2013, 2018, 2020 (appeared nearly emerged); May 2020, June 2018
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: EUPHORBIACEAE: Drypetes deplanchei
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (only known food plant is growing at Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: as for Claire Cottage plus CAPPARACEAE: Capparis canescens
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Observations
In late summer and early autumn 2015, we saw sufficient numbers of these butterflies to believe they were migrating on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Until 2015 Appias paulina was an infrequent visitor to our garden but that year we sighted the Yellow Albatross on our property in five different months. We feel this may also be due to the increase of nectar plants in our garden.
The butterfly pictured on this page that visited us in early December 2015, appeared newly emerged suggesting it had bred nearby.
Last autumn sighting @ Claire Cottage:
22/04/18 @ 02.30pm 3 males feeding together on Parsonsia straminea flowers at the top of Memory Hill, Claire Cottage.
15/05/20 @ 12.30pm a female hill-topping on Memory Hill, Claire Cottage.
Winter sightings @ Claire Cottage
02/06/18 @ 10.30am a female feeding on Buddleia.
