Taractrocera papyria

Taractrocera papyria (Boisduval, 1832)
White Banded Grassdart
HESPERIINAE , HESPERIIDAE

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

(updated 3 May 2008)

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney)

This Caterpillar is green with a brown prothorax and head. It lives in a shelter made from blades of grass curled and joined with silk. It has been found feeding on many grasses from the Grass family ( POACEAE ) including:

Couch ( Cynodon dactylon ),

Cogon Grass ( Imperata cylindrica ),

Snow Grass ( Microlaena stipoides ),

Kikuyu ( Pennisetum clandestinum ),

Common Reed ( Phragmites australis ),

Slender Tussockgrass ( Poa tenera ),

as well as from the Sedge family ( CYPERACEAE ), including:

Lizard's Tail Sedge ( Carex gaudichaudiana ).

The caterpillar grows to a length of about 2 cms. It pupates in its larval shelter.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The upper side of the adult butterfly is dark brown with a number of pale yellow spots and bands on each wing. Each wing also has a narrow white border. Underneath, the wings are fawn with white and pale yellow patches under each wing, and a yellow patch at the base of the costa of each fore wing. The male has a thin black line halfway across each fore wing. The wing span is about 3 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The species is found in :

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Lord Howe Island,

Victoria,

South Australia, and

Western Australia.

It exists as two races:

papyria in the east, and

agraulia in the west.