Hesperilla picta

Hesperilla picta (Leach, 1814)
Painted Sedge-skipper
(previously known as Hesperia picta)
TRAPEZITINAE, HESPERIIDAE, HESPERIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Peter R. Samson & Stella Crossley

Hesperilla picta
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Todd Burrows, South Stradbroke Island, Queensland)

This Caterpillar is green with a series of dark and pale stripes along the body. The head is brown with a darker stripe down the middle. The Caterpillar lives alone in a loose shelter made by joining foodplant leaves with silk, and grows to a length of about 4 cms.

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

The Caterpillar feeds nocturnally on :

Tall Saw Sedge ( Gahnia clarkei, ( CYPERACEAE ).

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

The caterpillar pupates in its larval shelter. The pupa is basically white, with a brown covering over the developing haustellum and eyes.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Paul Kay)

The adult butterflies are dark brown, with yellow markings on the wing upper surfaces. The female butterflies have a wingspan of about 3.5 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Paul Kay)

The males are slightly smaller, and have a dark bar in the middle of each forewing.

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

The undersides are marbled dark brown and white.

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Ken Walker, Bunbury, Western Australia)

Eggs are pale yellowish-green and are dome-shaped with about 30 microscopic ribs. As hatching approaches, patches of other colours develop. The eggs have a diameter of about 1.2 mm. The eggs are laid singly on the undersides of leaves of a foodplant.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

This species occurs in eastern Australia, including:

Queensland,

New South Wales, and

Victoria.

(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Australian National Insect Collection)