Hesperilla malindeva Lower, 1911
Two-spotted Sedge Skipper
TRAPEZITINAE, HESPERIIDAE

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

(updated 3 July 2007)


(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The Caterpillars of this species are purplish-green, with a dark dorsal line and a brown head. They feed on :

  • Rough Sawsedge ( Gahnia aspera, CYPERACEAE ).

    They make a shelter by rolling leaves of the foodplant into a tube, in which they live by day. They emerge to feed at night. They pupate in their shelter. The pupa has a length of about 2 cms.

    The adults are dark brown on top with large pale yellow spots on the forewings. The males have two such spots and also have a black line in the middle of each forewing. The females have three spots and no black line. Underneath, the wings are similar except that both sexes has two black spots under each hindwing. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 3 cms.

    The eggs are white and laid singly on the underside of leaves of a foodplant.

    This species occurs in Queensland and northern New South Wales.


    Further reading :

    Michael F. Braby, Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp. 158-159.


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