Trapezites waterhousei Mayo & Atkins, 1992
Laterite Ochre
TRAPEZITINAE,   HESPERIIDAE,   HESPERIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The Caterpillars of this species are pale brown, and have three indistinct dark stripes: one running along the back, and one along each side. The head is also brown with an inverted 'V' shaped mark. The caterpillars feed on :

  • Basil's Asparagus ( Xerolirion divaricata, ASPARAGACEAE ).

    Each lives in a shelter on its foodplant made from a rolled leaf or piece of bark. They grow to a length of about 2 cms.

    The adult butterflies on top are brown with three pale yellow spots on each forewing, and one on each hindwing. Each wing has a chequered edge. Underneath they are fawn with a dozen or so white spots each outlined in dark brown. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 2.5 cms.

    The eggs are dome shaped and have 18 ribs. Initially the eggs are cream coloured, but later they develop red markings before the Caterpillars hatch.

    This species is found in the south of

  • Western Australia.


    Further reading :

    Michael F. Braby,
    Butterflies of Australia,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, p 105.

    Russell Mayo & Andrew F. Atkins,
    Anisyntoides Waterhouse (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae): a synonym of Trapezites Hübner, with description of a new species from Western Australia,
    Australian Entomological Magazine,
    Volume 19, Part 3 (1992), p. 82, Figs 1, 4-7, 17-21.


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    (updated 4 January 2012, 5 January 2024)