Hesperilla dirphia Hewitson, 1868
Western Brown Skipper
(formerly known as : Motasingha dirphia)
TRAPEZITINAE,   HESPERIIDAE,   HESPERIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


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

The Caterpillars of this species are a translucent green with white spots,and have a pinkish thorax and tail, and a black head.


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

The adults are dark brown, with cream spots on each fore wing. The males also have a broken black patch on the upper surface of each forewing. The undersides are reddish brown with cream spots, which are black-edged under each hind wing. The butterflies have a wing span up to 4 cms.

This species occurs in

  • Western Australia.


    Further reading :

    Michael F. Braby, Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, p. 167.

    William Chapman Hewitson,
    Hesperidae,
    Descriptions of One Hundred new species of Hesperidae,
    London, Part 1 (1868), p. 38, No. 2.


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    (updated 5 March 2001, 5 January 2024)