Alpine Silver Xenica
SATYRINAE, NYMPHALIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 21 July 2004)
(Photo: courtesy of
Museum Victoria)
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 21 July 2004)
(Photo: courtesy of
Museum Victoria)
These Caterpillars are initially green with a black head. Later instars are brown with indistinct longitudinal lines. They have a brown head that has a pair of small horns, and twoprojections on the anal segment. The Caterpillars feed on various species of Grass ( POACEAE ) including :
The pupa is brown with a white doral abdominal ridge.
The wings of the adult butterflies are brown with yellow patches. On the upper surfaces, each wing has an eyespot. Underneath, the fore wings are similar, but each hind wing has two eyespots. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.
The species is found in the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria as three races:
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby, Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 494-495.
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