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Have you been noticing a lot of flying friends of the butterfly variety recently?
You're not alone.
A spokesperson from the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) said Caper White Butterflies (Belenois java) can be seen in large numbers across the Mid North Coast.
Hundreds were seen at Hat Head, near Kempsey on Saturday, October 29.
"These butterflies look largely white in flight and erupt in very large numbers when there is a good season," the DPE spokesperson said.
Majority of the Caper White Butterflies breed west of the Great Divide, where the caterpillars feed on caper shrubs (Capparis spp).
The DPE spokesperson said some characteristics of the butterfly species remain a mystery to researchers.
"Their movements are complex and not well understood," she said.
"Caper White Butterflies are known to suddenly appear in huge numbers along south-east Australian coastal areas.
"[They are either] blown in by weather fronts coming from the west, or fly as part of some other migratory movement."
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