Banks' Brown Heteronympha banksii
Wingspan: 48mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Feb - May
Larval Food Plants:
Native grasses of the Poaceae family, occasionally the sedges Carex longebrachiata, Gahnia melanocarpa
There are three subspecies Heteronympha banksii banksii (restricted to NSW & VIC) Heteronympha banksii mariposa (restricted to northern NSW and southern QLD) and Heteronympha banksii nevina is found in Western VIC.
Distribution: Fragmented range - Heteronympha banksii mariposa occurs from the Bunya Mountains SE QLD to near Stanthorpe, Heteronympha banksii banksii occurs from Deer Vale (near Dorrigo NSW) to Wilsons Promontory VIC Heteronympha banksii nevina is restricted to the Grampians in Western VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: becoming more common
NOTE: Similar species at Claire Cottage: Heteronympha paradelpha (Spotted Brown)
Wingspan: 48mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Feb - May
Larval Food Plants:
Native grasses of the Poaceae family, occasionally the sedges Carex longebrachiata, Gahnia melanocarpa
There are three subspecies Heteronympha banksii banksii (restricted to NSW & VIC) Heteronympha banksii mariposa (restricted to northern NSW and southern QLD) and Heteronympha banksii nevina is found in Western VIC.
Distribution: Fragmented range - Heteronympha banksii mariposa occurs from the Bunya Mountains SE QLD to near Stanthorpe, Heteronympha banksii banksii occurs from Deer Vale (near Dorrigo NSW) to Wilsons Promontory VIC Heteronympha banksii nevina is restricted to the Grampians in Western VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: becoming more common
NOTE: Similar species at Claire Cottage: Heteronympha paradelpha (Spotted Brown)
Banks' Brown, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, 25 Apr 2021, 1.19 pm
Banks' Brown female showing the white apical spot on the forewing
Banks Brown Heteronympha banksii Claire Cottage 25 April 2021 12.38pm
Banks Brown, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 31 Mar 2020
Banks Brown, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 31 Mar 2020
Banks' Brown lacks eye spots on the upperside of its fore-wings, instead having a small whitish spot. (Eye spots are present on the Shouldered Brown and less obvious on the Spotted Brown.). Cryptic markings and colourings are present on the underside of the hind-wings.
Banks' Brown female
Our 6 year old granddaughter took this photo on Killungoondie Plains Dorrigo NP, Apr 2019
This one settled briefly on Parsonsia flowers. Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, 24 Mar 2019
Hiding on the leaf litter, Apr 2019, Killungoondie Plains Dorrigo NP
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A female Banks' Brown walking on the ground in early May presumably dropping eggs
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A late season female Banks' Brown
photographed in early May
A very late season Banks' Brown Heteronympha banksii, Claire Cottage, Dorrigo Plateau, 28 May 2021 12.36 pm - the previous nights' temperature dropped to 1.5C
A male Banks' Brown guarding his territory on the edge of our rainforest in March 2016
Banks' Brown Heteronympha banksii
Wingspan: 48mm
There are three subspecies Heteronympha banksii banksii (restricted to NSW & VIC) Heteronympha banksii mariposa (restricted to northern NSW and southern QLD) and Heteronympha banksii nevina is found in Western VIC.
Distribution: Fragmented range - Heteronympha banksii mariposa occurs from the Bunya Mountains SE QLD to near Stanthorpe, Heteronympha banksii banksii occurs from Deer Vale (near Dorrigo NSW) to Wilsons Promontory VIC Heteronympha banksii nevina is restricted to the Grampians in Western VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: becoming more common
NOTE: Similar species at Claire Cottage: Heteronympha paradelpha (Spotted Brown)
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage:
Last autumn season sighting - Claire Cottage: 04/05/18; 15/05/20; 28/05/21;
Wingspan: 48mm
There are three subspecies Heteronympha banksii banksii (restricted to NSW & VIC) Heteronympha banksii mariposa (restricted to northern NSW and southern QLD) and Heteronympha banksii nevina is found in Western VIC.
Distribution: Fragmented range - Heteronympha banksii mariposa occurs from the Bunya Mountains SE QLD to near Stanthorpe, Heteronympha banksii banksii occurs from Deer Vale (near Dorrigo NSW) to Wilsons Promontory VIC Heteronympha banksii nevina is restricted to the Grampians in Western VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: becoming more common
NOTE: Similar species at Claire Cottage: Heteronympha paradelpha (Spotted Brown)
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Feb 2011, Mar 2020, Apr 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013m, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, May 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere:
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: CYPERACEAE: Carex longebrachiata, POACEAE: Poa labillardieri, Poa sieberiana
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: CYPERACEAE: Gahnia melanocarpa, POACEAE: Poa queenslandica, Poa tenera, Tetrarrhena juncea,
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage:
Last autumn season sighting - Claire Cottage: 04/05/18; 15/05/20; 28/05/21;