Trapezites eliena

Trapezites eliena (Hewitson, 1868)
(one synonym : Telesto caecilius)
Eliena Skipper
TRAPEZITINAE , HESPERIIDAE

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

Trapezites eliena
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The Caterpillar of this species is greenish or pinkish brown, with faint stripes and a speckled appearance. It feeds on:

Common Mat-rush ( Lomandra confertifolia ),

Narrow Mat-Rush ( Lomandra filiformis ),

Spiny Headed Mat-rush ( Lomandra longifolia ), and

Many-flowered Mat-rush ( Lomandra multiflora ),

all of LAXMANNIACEAE.

head: magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

It lives in a shelter at the base of a foodplant constructed out of silk and leaves. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The Caterpillar pupates in the shelter. The pupa is brown with black spots on the mesothorax. It has a length of about 2 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Todd Burrows, South Stradbroke Island)

The upper side of the adult butterfly is brown with a series of cream and yellow spots on each forewing, and a large yellow band on each hindwing. Underneath, the forewings are similar but redder, and the hind wings are russet, each with a number of variable small white spots, each of which is outlined in black. The wing span is about 3 cms.

The males of this species are inclined to congregate around hill tops.

The species is found along the Great Divide in:

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Victoria, and

South Australia.