Hypocysta metirius Butler, 1875
Common Brown Ringlet
(erroneously: Hypocista metirius)
SATYRINAE,   NYMPHALIDAE,   PAPILIONOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Hypocysta metirius
(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.

Hypocysta metirius
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

They feed on common grasses and sedges such as:

  • Couch ( Cynodon dactylon, POACEAE ),
  • Wanderrie Grass ( Eriachne pallescens, POACEAE ),
  • Creeping Tidegrass ( Alexfloydia repens, POACEAE ), and
  • Tall Saw Sedge ( Gahnia clarkeis, CYPERACEAE ).

    Hypocysta metirius
    (Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

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

    Hypocysta metirius
    (Photo: courtesy of Dave Britton, Australian Museum)

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

    Hypocysta metirius
    (Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan)

    Underneath, the wings are brown, and each hind wing has two eyespots. The adult butterflies have a wingspan of about 4 cms.

    Hypocysta metirius
    egg
    (Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

    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

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales.

    Hypocysta metirius
    underside
    (Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

    There have been times when Hypocysta metirius , Hypocysta pseudirius , and Hypocysta adiante have been seen 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.

    Arthur G. Butler,
    Contributions towards a knowledge of the Rhopalocera of Australia,
    Transactions of the Entomological Society of London,
    1875, Part 1, p. 3.

    Kelvyn L. Dunn,
    A further search for Hypocysta metirius (Butler 1875) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Southern New South Wales,
    Victorian Entomologist,
    Volume 45, Part 1 (2016), pp. 13-19.

    Wesley Jenkinson,
    Life history notes on the Brown Ringlet, Hypocysta metirius (Butler, 1875) Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae,
    Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club,
    Metamorphosis Australia,
    Issue 78 (September 2015), pp. 16-18.


    previous
    back
    caterpillar
    Australian
    Australian Butterflies
    butterflies
    Australian
    home
    Lepidoptera
    Australian
    Australian Moths
    moths
    next
    next
    caterpillar

    (updated 11 October 2012, 9 August 2024)