Each egg of this species is laid singly on a blade of one of the grasses ( POACEAE ) which are the foodplants of the Caterpillar.

The Caterpillar is initially yellow with a black head. Later instars are green with a black and white head, and a darker line running along the back. The Caterpillar lives singly within a frond of grass, which is curled and closed with strands of silk to form a shelter. It grows to a length of about 1 cm. To us, the Caterpillar was indistinguishable from that of the related species Ocybadistes walkeri. Most of these Caterpillars found in Melbourne were Ocybadistes walkeri, and most of them found in Sydney were Ocybadistes flavovittatus.

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The Caterpillar pupates in its grass shelter.

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

The butterfly is brown with an orange/yellow pattern on the wings. The male has a black line on the top of each forewing. Underneath, both sexes are yellow tending to brown toward the rear of each wing. When the butterfly is at rest, it often poses with the fore wings vertical and the hind wings horizontal. It has a wingspan of about 1.5 cm.

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

It is found as two subspecies in Australia :

vesta in the Northern Territory and the north of Western Australia.

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Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 202-203.

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