Narrow-brand Darter HESPERIINAE, HESPERIIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
female
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group,
Centre for Biodiversity Genomics,
University of Guelph)
The Caterpillars of this species are green with a dark dorsal line, and a brown head. The caterpillars grow to a length up to 4 cms. They feed on various grasses (POACEAE), including
The caterpillars live in a cylindrical shelter made from a leaf of the foodplant. Pupation occurs in a curled leaf on the ground.
The adults are brown with orange patches. The males have a narrow grey line across part of each forewing upper surface. Underneath, the butterflies are greenish-orange with light and dark markings. The butterflies have a wingspan up to 3 cms.
This species occurs in the tropical north of Australia in
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 227-228.
Oswald B. Lower,
Revision of the Australian Hesperiadae,
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia,
Volume 35 (1911), p. 157, No. 80.
caterpillar | butterflies | Lepidoptera | moths | caterpillar |
(written 19 March 2004, updated 5 January 2024)