Heteronympha mirifica

Heteronympha mirifica (Butler, 1866)
(one synonym: Lasiommata digglesi)
Wonder Brown
SATYRINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

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

(updated 7 May 2008)

These Caterpillars are initially green. Later instars are brown with a darker dorsal line which narrows at each intersegment joint and widens on each segment. The tail has a forked projection. They have a brown head that also has a pair of small horns, with pink tips. The Caterpillars feed on various grasses ( POACEAE ), including :

Shade Grass ( Ottochloa gracillima ), and

Basketgrass ( Oplismenus species, ).

The pupa is green or brown, and suspended by a cremaster at a slanting angle to the vertical. It has a length of about 2 cms.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Christine Ashe, Wyee)

The wings of the adult male butterflies are brown with black markings. Each wing has an eyespot on the upper surface but not underneath.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The females look entirely different. They are larger and black on top with grey underneath, and each forewing has a white bar and a white spot near the wingtip. There is also a small eyespot on the top of each hindwing. The female butterflies have a wing span of about 6 cms. For many years it was thought the sexes were from different species, as the males also tend to congregate towards the tops of hills, and the females prefer the moist gullies below.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The species is found from southern Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria.