Oreixenica kershawi

Oreixenica kershawi (Miskin, 1876)
(previously known as : Xenica kershawi)
Kershaw's Brown
SATYRINAE, NYMPHALIDAE

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

(updated 22 July 2004)

(Photo: courtesy of R.P. Field; © Museum Victoria)

These Caterpillars are green with sparse prominent hairs, and have a green head. Later instars may acquire longitudinal pale lines, and a forked tail. The Caterpillars feed on various species of POACEAE :

Snow Grass ( Poa species), and

Wire Grass ( Tetrarrhena species).

The pupa is spiky, and green with brown markings. It is suspended head down from a cremaster.

female
(Photo: courtesy of R.P. Field; © Museum Victoria)

The upper surfaces of the wings of the adult butterflies are brown with yellow patches. The upper sides of each of the fore wings each have a small eyespot near the wing tip, and the hind wings have a larger one near the tornus.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

Underneath, the wings are much the same, except that the hind wings each have an extra eye spot. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

(Courtesy : Instant Scratchies)

The species is found in the mountains of south eastern Australia as several subspecies, including:

kershawi in Victoria and southern New South Wales,

ella in central New South Wales,

phryne in the Australian Capital Territory, and

kanunda in South Australia.