Toxidia peron

Toxidia peron (Latreille, [1824])
(erroneously: Hesperia peroni)
Large Dingy Skipper
TRAPEZITINAE , HESPERIIDAE

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

(updated 1 May 2008)

Toxidia peron
(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

These Caterpillars can be either green or brown, with a black head, and are covered in tiny warts. The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 3 cms. They feed on various monocotyledons, including :

Buffalo Grass ( Stenotaphrum secundatum, POACEAE ),

Saw Sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana, CYPERACEAE ),

Flax Lily ( Dianella species, PHORMIACEAE ), and

Mat-rush ( Lomandra, XANTHARRHOEACEAE ).

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

The adults are dark brown with a few white spots. The males also have black and white streaks on the forewings. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

male
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The species is found in :

Queensland,

New South Wales, and

Victoria.