Millions of butterflies herald insect influx in hot and humid Queensland spring

Caper whites descend on state's south-east - only to be replaced by plague of flies as temperatures climb to 38 degrees

From butterflies to plain old flies, south-east Queensland is experiencing a two-phase swarm of insects amid weather conditions that allow both species to thrive.

Last Friday residents began reporting a sudden surge of butterflies, an influx of tens of millions of caper whites in what experts said was a phenomenon that occurred about once a decade.