Telicota anisodesma

Telicota anisodesma Lower, 1911
Large Darter
HESPERIINAE, HESPERIIDAE

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

(updated 19 June 2000)

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

These Caterpillars hatch from eggs that are white with pink markings, laid singly on foodplant leaves.

The Caterpillars are green with a dark line along the back, and brown head which has a mark like an upside-down 'V'. They live in a cylindrical shelter made by rolling a leaf tip, leaving an entrance at the bottom. They feed nocturnally on various rainforest species such as :

Supplejack ( Flagellaria indica, FLAGELLARIACEAE ).

The Caterpillar leaves its shelter to pupate, typically pupating in a curled leaf on the ground.

Male
underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adults are brown, with orange patches. The males have bigger orange patches than the females, and also have a greyl line across part of each forewing. The undersides of the forewings are similar to their upper surfaces, but the hindwings are a more uniform pale brown underneath. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

This species is rare, and occurs in Queensland and New South Wales.