Hesperilla chrysotricha (Meyrick and Lower, 1902)
(one synonym :
Telesto cyclospila)
Chrysotricha Skipper
TRAPEZITINAE ,
HESPERIIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
This Caterpillar is yellowish with a pinkish prothorax,
and a dark dorsal line.
The head is hairy and dark brown with two pale bands.
The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms.
It lives and feeds on various species of Sword Grass
(
CYPERACEAE ) including :
Weeping Saw Sedge ( Gahnia decomposita ),
Heathy Saw Sedge ( Gahnia deusta ),
Thatching Grass ( Gahnia filum ),
Slender Saw Sedge ( Gahnia microstachya ),
Thatch Saw Sedge ( Gahnia radula ),
Red Fruit Saw Sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana ), and
Twine Rush ( Gahnia trifida ).
The Caterpillar creates a shelter from silk and leaves
of the foodplant in which it rests by day,
feeding nocturnally.
Pupation occurs in the shelter.
female
(Photo: courtesy of
Museum Victoria)
The adult butterfly is dark brown
with several white spots on each fore wing.
The male has a black line (sex brand) half way across
the top of each fore wing.
There is a yellow patch on each hind wing.
Underneath, the fore wings are half pale brown
and half dark brown,
with several pale yellow spots.
The hind wings underneath are yellow with
one separate outlined white spot near the base,
and an arc of about eight subterminal outlined white spots.
The male wing span is about 3.5 cms.
The female is slightly larger.
male
Museum Victoria)
Eggs are pale green,
and laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.
The species may be found
in small pockets in :
Victoria,
Tasmania, as well as
South Australia, and
Western Australia,
as several races including :
leucosia,
cyclospila, and
naua.
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 156-158.
(updated 25 July 2004)
