Brown Ringlet (Common Ringlet) Hypocysta metirius
Wingspan: 31mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All months of the year
Distribution: Found from the tip of Cape York Peninsula down the Australian east coast to Eden in southern NSW.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Hypocysta pseudirius
Wingspan: 31mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All months of the year
Distribution: Found from the tip of Cape York Peninsula down the Australian east coast to Eden in southern NSW.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Hypocysta pseudirius
Brown Ringlet
Brown Ringlet enjoying the sun in late April
This one has an extra small eye-spot on its hindwing (Mt. Coramba, near Coffs Harbour, NSW)
Brown Ringlet on our property with usual eye-spots
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Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 31.08.20
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Brown Ringlet
Sharing a leaf! Apr 2019, Killungundi Plains Dorrigo NP
Brown Ringlet (Common Ringlet) Hypocysta metirius
Wingspan: 31mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All months of the year
Distribution: Found from the tip of Cape York Peninsula down the Australian east coast to Eden in southern NSW.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Hypocysta pseudirius
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.
Interesting Observations
The Brown Ringlet has a gentle, undulating, low and often bumpy, usually short, flight span.
It appears an insignificant little butterfly in flight. However a closer look after it settles, with its wings open, reveals the prominent markings on the upper-side of its hind-wings, with its large eye-spots and flash of orange. When its wings are closed two prominent eye spots are displayed on the underside of the hind-wings.
The Brown Ringlet favours the edge of our rainforest and the dappled shade under our copses of paddock trees. With its usual weak, slow flight it flits around close to the ground, stopping frequently to bask in sunny spots but happy to also fly in shady nooks.
On warm days we find them flying from sunrise till dusk – they appear to be on the wing for more hours each day than most other butterflies. Walking along our rainforest paths early in the morning it is often the first butterfly seen. After a cool night (10C-11C) in mid April 2017 we sighted the Brown Ringlet flying in a sunny corner at 07.15 am taking full advantage of the first weak rays of warm sunlight.
Not present at Claire Cottage when we moved here just days after cattle were moved away from the tree-less kikuyu paddocks, we now find the friendly small Brown Ringlet is increasingly common as more native grasses make their home on our property. In late Autumn it is at times now our most common butterfly.
LARVAL FOOD PLANTS KNOWLEDGE: The Brown Ringlet has become increasingly common (2021) both across our property generally and in the gardens surrounding Claire Cottage. Whilst we have not found larva we imagine there will be a greater range of foodplants than is currently generally known and is listed on this web page.
Autumn/Winter Sightings @ Claire Cottage: 02/06/18, 21/05/19, 18/07/20, 26/05/21, 13/08/21
Wingspan: 31mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All months of the year
Distribution: Found from the tip of Cape York Peninsula down the Australian east coast to Eden in southern NSW.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Hypocysta pseudirius
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: All year - more frequent Sep to May, less frequent Jun to Aug
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: thought to be the same as Claire Cottage
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: CYPERACEAE: Gahnia clarkei
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: POACEAE - Alexfloydia repens (Floyd's Grass) Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass), Eriachne pallescens (Wanderrie Grass), Oplismenus hirtellus (Basket Grass),
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Observations
The Brown Ringlet has a gentle, undulating, low and often bumpy, usually short, flight span.
It appears an insignificant little butterfly in flight. However a closer look after it settles, with its wings open, reveals the prominent markings on the upper-side of its hind-wings, with its large eye-spots and flash of orange. When its wings are closed two prominent eye spots are displayed on the underside of the hind-wings.
The Brown Ringlet favours the edge of our rainforest and the dappled shade under our copses of paddock trees. With its usual weak, slow flight it flits around close to the ground, stopping frequently to bask in sunny spots but happy to also fly in shady nooks.
On warm days we find them flying from sunrise till dusk – they appear to be on the wing for more hours each day than most other butterflies. Walking along our rainforest paths early in the morning it is often the first butterfly seen. After a cool night (10C-11C) in mid April 2017 we sighted the Brown Ringlet flying in a sunny corner at 07.15 am taking full advantage of the first weak rays of warm sunlight.
Not present at Claire Cottage when we moved here just days after cattle were moved away from the tree-less kikuyu paddocks, we now find the friendly small Brown Ringlet is increasingly common as more native grasses make their home on our property. In late Autumn it is at times now our most common butterfly.
LARVAL FOOD PLANTS KNOWLEDGE: The Brown Ringlet has become increasingly common (2021) both across our property generally and in the gardens surrounding Claire Cottage. Whilst we have not found larva we imagine there will be a greater range of foodplants than is currently generally known and is listed on this web page.
Autumn/Winter Sightings @ Claire Cottage: 02/06/18, 21/05/19, 18/07/20, 26/05/21, 13/08/21