The Caterpillar makes a shelter by joining leaves together with silk, in which it rest by day, and from which it emerges to feed at night. It grows to a length of about 3 cms.

It pupates in its shelter or ground debris nearby.

(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The adult butterfly on top is dark brown with orange patches. The males have a black zig-zag line on each forewing. The wing span is about 2 cms.

(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The undersides are similar to the upper surfaces, but paler and patchier.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The eggs are white with red markings. They are laid singly on the underside of a leaf of a foodplant.

The species is found along the north and east of Australia as two subspecies :

(Photo: courtesy of Chris, taken in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney)

Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 201-202.

Oswald B. Lower,
Revision of the Australian Hesperiadae,
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia,
Volume 35 (1911), pp. 152-153.

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(updated 3 June 2009, 5 January 2024)