Caper White Butterfly on the Mediterranean Sea’s Coastline

Posted March 31, 2021

Caper White Butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow at Binyamina, Israel

He is nectaring furiously on a flower bloom, some 1/2 of an hour from the Mediterranean coast. I realized that I was fortunate to see him, for the Caper White Butterflies appear in good numbers some years, and are almost absent in other years.

I was excited to find these fresh Caper Whites, their black venation pleases my eyes, and reminds of the artistry of the Cre-ator.

All this brings me to that word that I aspire to, to be an esthete.

An 8-minute drive from this agricultural road to the Mediterranean Sea coastline.

Jeff

Large Salmon Arab Butterfly in the Israeli HolyLand, near the Mediterranean Coast

Posted February 22, 2021

Filed under Binyamina, Israel, Salmon Arab

Large Salmon Arab Butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow at Binyamina, Israel

I’ve scoured Glassberg’s A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America and I cannot find an North American butterfly that is similar to this Large Salmon Arab Butterfly. Where’d I meet this eye-pleasing yellow butterfly? I was working the dirt roads that cut through agricultural fields in Binyamina in central Israel, not to far from the Mediterranean coast. This wildflower grows along many such roads, and butterflies visit it much.

I love photographing butterflies in the HolyLand. They have walked the same trails, ancient many, as I have, seen the same butterflies as I have. I have little doubt that they stopped and marveled at the same butterflies as I have. That they were pleased as I’ve been at G-d’s beautiful winged beauties.

Jeff

Caper White Butterfly (HolyLand)

Posted August 6, 2020

Filed under Binyamina, Israel, Whites

Not Dayton Ohio or Missoula, Montana. The coastal plain of Israel, the HolyLand at the village of Binyamina. Some 10 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, near Dina & Misha’s orchards.

Studying this Caper White, requires that I continue to remind myself that this is NOT a U.S. Cabbage white butterfly.

I must too remind myself that the number of butterfly species that one can find defies your imagination. G-d is a prolific painter of beauty, is what I often think.

Jeff

Middle Eastern White Butterfly

Posted June 24, 2020

Filed under Binyamina, Israel, Whites

Seen in the coastal plains of Israel, the HolyLand, Anaphaeis aurota caught my attention, it so different from Israel and U.S. butterflies. The white was milk white and his contrasting black wing margins stood out, much.

Found in Israel, the Egyptian Sinai region and presumably Jordan and Lebanon, A. aurota flies from June to December.

Another that Jesus, Joshua and Aaron surely also enjoyed seeing. Binyamina, Israel, near Caeseria and Netanya.

Jeff

A HolyLand Yellow

Posted June 4, 2019

Filed under Binyamina, Israel, Locations for Butterflies, Salmon Arab, Yellows

Large Salmon Arab Butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow in Binyamina, Israel

We here in the USA have a butterfly that we see nearly everywhere, one that is so familiar that we hardly notice it. The Orange Sulphur flies in meadows and gardens. Seeing a fresh one? A real pick me up, no?

In the HolyLand (Israel) a closely related yellow flies, the Large Salmon Arab butterfly (Madais fausta). It too loves to nectar on wildflowers and on garden blooms.

This male was seen north of Tel Aviv, in the village of Binyamina. I was visiting family there, and took a walk along farming roads, along the edges of orange, tangerine and grapefruit orchards. He was intent upon nectaring, and tolerated my Macro- approach some. Was it hot? Yes, some 91F Middle East hot, but the rewards for me were real and loved.

Jeff