Anisynta cynone

Anisynta cynone (Hewitson, [1874])
(one synonym : Hesperilla gracilis)
Cynone Skipper
TRAPEZITINAE , HESPERIIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

These Caterpillars are greyish with a brown head and thorax, and have a dark line down the back, and a white line along each side. The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 2 cms. They live in a shelter constructed from a folded leaf secured with silk. The Caterpillars feed nocturnally on various grasses from the family POACEAE, including :

Rough Spear-grass ( Austrostipa scabra ),

False Brome ( Brachypodium distachyon ),

Couch ( Cynodon dactylon ),

Rice Millet ( Oryzopsis miliacea ), and

Grey Tussock Grass ( Poa sieberiana ).

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adults are dark brown on top, with cream spots on each fore wing. Underneath, they are brown with a pale area under each forewing costa, and white spots under each hindwing. The butterflies have a wing span of about 2 cms.

This species are found in :

New South Wales,

Victoria, and

South Australia,

as various races:

cynone,

gunneda,

gracilis, and

grisea.