Hesperilla crypsargyra (Meyrick, 1888)
Silver Sedge-Skipper
 (previously known as Telesto crypsargyra)
TRAPEZITINAE,   HESPERIIDAE,   HESPERIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Hesperilla crypsargyra
(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney, New South Wales)

This Caterpillar is green with longitudinal white stripes.

It feeds on plants in CYPERACEAE including:

  • Cutting Grass ( Gahnia grandis ),
  • Slender Saw-sedge ( Gahnia microstachya ), and
  • Red Fruit Saw Sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana ).

    The pupa is brown and covered in a waxy white powder.

    Hesperilla crypsargyra
    male
    (Specimen: courtesy of Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

    The adult butterfly has brown wings, with off-white spots on the fore wings, and an orange stripe across each hind wing. The males have a sex-brand that is a black line across part of each fore wing The adults have a wingspan of about 2 cms.

    The undersides of the wings are brown with white markings.

    The species is found in the mountain areas of south east Australia, including:

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales, and
  • Victoria.

    Further reading :

    Michael F. Braby,
    Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp 148-149.

    Edward Meyrick,
    Descriptions of new Australian Rhopalocera.,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Series 2, Volume 2, Part 4 (1888), pp. 829-830.

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    (updated 28 July 2001, 5 January 2024)