Hesperilla chrysotricha

Hesperilla chrysotricha (Meyrick & Lower, 1902)
Golden-haired Skipper
(one synonym : Telesto cyclospila Meyrick & Lower, 1902)
TRAPEZITINAE, HESPERIIDAE, HESPERIOIDEA

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

This Caterpillar is yellowish with a pinkish prothorax, and a dark dorsal line. The head is hairy and dark brown with two pale bands. The caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms. It lives and feeds on various species of Sword Grass (CYPERACEAE) including :

Weeping Saw Sedge ( Gahnia decomposita ),

Heathy Saw Sedge ( Gahnia deusta ),

Thatching Grass ( Gahnia filum ),

Slender Saw Sedge ( Gahnia microstachya ),

Thatch Saw Sedge ( Gahnia radula ),

Red Fruit Saw Sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana ), and

Twine Rush ( Gahnia trifida ).

The caterpillar creates a shelter from silk and leaves of the foodplant in which it rests by day, feeding nocturnally.

Pupation occurs in the shelter.

(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The adult butterfly is dark brown with several white spots on each forewing. The male has a black line (sex brand) half way across the top of each forewing. There is a yellow patch on each hindwing.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

Underneath: the forewings are half pale brown and half dark brown, with several pale yellow spots. The hindwings underneath are yellow with one separate outlined white spot near the base, and a subterminal arc of up to eight outlined white spots. The male wingspan is about 3.5 cms. The female is slightly larger.

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

Eggs are pale yellowish-green and are spheroidal with about 40 microscopic ribs. The eggs have a diameter of about 1 mm. The eggs are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.

The species may be found in small pockets in :

Victoria,

Tasmania,

South Australia (listed as Hesperilla chysotricha), and

Western Australia,

as several races including :

cyclospila Meyrick and Lower, 1902,

leucosplila Waterhouse, 1927, and

naua Couchman, 1949.