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

(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)
These caterpillars are green or brown with vague light and dark lines along the body. The caterpillars have two short horns with white edges on both the head and the tail. The caterpillars grow to a length of about 2 cms.

They feed on common grasses and sedges such as:

The pupa is angular and brown, and hangs from a stem. It has a length of about 1 cm.

The adult butterflies are brown, with an orange patch on each hind wing ending in an eyespot.

Underneath, the wings are brown, and each hind wing has two eyespots. The adult butterflies have a wingspan of about 3 cms.

The eggs are pale green and spherical. They are laid singly on foodplants.
The species may be found along the east coast of Australia, including

There have been times when we have seen Hypocysta metirius , Hypocysta pseudirius , and Hypocysta adiante flying together. They are very difficult to tell apart in flight
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 482-483.
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(updated 11 October 2012)