Pelopidas agna

Pelopidas agna (Moore, 1866)
(one synonym: Hesperias agna)
Common Swift
HESPERIINAE , HESPERIIDAE

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

(updated 31 March 2009)

Pelopidas agna
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

This Caterpillar is green, with green dots, and two yellow dorsolateral lines. The head is green with two brown stripes. It feeds on various grasses ( POACEAE ) such as :

Australian Swamp Grass ( Ischaemum australe ),

Russell River Grass ( Paspalum paniculatum ),

Rice ( Oryza sativa ), and

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ).

(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The adult butterfly is dark brown with a series of white spots on each fore wing. The wing span is about 3 cms.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

Various sub-species are found all over south-east Asia, including

Hong Kong,

Nepal, and

Sri Lanka,
and the subspecies dingo is found in Australia in:

the Northern Territory, and

Queensland.

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney)