Telicota colon

Telicota colon (Fabricius, 1775)
Pale Grass Dart
HESPERIINAE , HESPERIIDAE

(updated 4 April 2009)

Telicota colon
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

This Caterpillar lives in a shelter composed of foodplant leaves joined with silk. It feeds on various Grasses ( POACEAE ), including :

Common Reed ( Phragmites australis ),

Japanese Silver Grass ( Miscanthus sinensis ),

Golden Beard Grass ( Chrysopogon fallax ), and

Itchgrass ( Ophiuros exaltatus = Rottboellia cochinchinensis ).

(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The pupa is brown, and formed in leafy debris.

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney)

The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms. They are brown with orange patches.

male
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The males have a grey patch on each forewing. Underneath, the wings are greenish-yellow, with the same orange patches.

(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The eggs are white and hemispherical. They are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.

This subspecies argeus is found over much of Australia, including

Other subspecies occur over much of south-east Asia, including