Chequered Grass-skipper Anisynta tillyardi
Wingspan: 27 - 28mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to March
Distribution: Bunya Mountains, QLD to Mount Allyn near Barrington Tops, NSW
Colony butterfly - colonies are localised - we see large numbers of specimens here in the Feb - Mar period. Increasingly they can be found flying in all our remaining grass covered areas.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: unknown
Wingspan: 27 - 28mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to March
Distribution: Bunya Mountains, QLD to Mount Allyn near Barrington Tops, NSW
Colony butterfly - colonies are localised - we see large numbers of specimens here in the Feb - Mar period. Increasingly they can be found flying in all our remaining grass covered areas.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: unknown
Chequered Grass-skipper
We see this attractive Grass-skipper frequently during summer and in particularly large and increasing numbers during February each year. It flies in the long grass of our paddocks at 800m above sea level, paddocks that were last grazed by cattle in 2005*.
The female Chequered Grass-skipper lays up to six eggs together on a blade of its grass foodplant and the caterpillars then build individual shelters at the base of the plant.
*(Note Braby Butterflies of Australia Vol. 1 CSIRO 2000 says found at altitudes between 900m & 1500m.) we are at 800m here.
The female Chequered Grass-skipper lays up to six eggs together on a blade of its grass foodplant and the caterpillars then build individual shelters at the base of the plant.
*(Note Braby Butterflies of Australia Vol. 1 CSIRO 2000 says found at altitudes between 900m & 1500m.) we are at 800m here.
Chequered Grass-skipper underside - feeding on Verbena
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Night roost
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Verbena flowers are perfect for these tiny butteflies
Chequered Grass-skipper
Claire Cottage, Dorrigo, 18 Feb 2016, 12.25 pm (Identified by Kelvyn Dunn)
A worn and battered female
Chequered Grass-skipper Anisynta tillyardi
Wingspan: 27 - 28mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to March
Distribution: Bunya Mountains, QLD to Mount Allyn near Barrington Tops, NSW (normally found at altitudes of between 900 - 1500 metres. Here it is living at between 800 - 840 metres.
Colony butterfly - colonies are localised - we see large numbers of specimens here in the Feb - Mar period. Increasingly they can be found flying in all our remaining grass covered areas.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: unknown
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Grass areas on the edge of Rainforest.
Flight habit: Thought to be throughout the day.
Interesting Facts:
March 2018 & 2021, large numbers of this beautiful medium sized Grass-skipper in and on the edge of all our grassed areas - it was easy to spot 6 or more feeding on small flowers or sitting on grass, close together.
Last Autumn Sighting at Claire Cottage: 10/03/21
Wingspan: 27 - 28mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to March
Distribution: Bunya Mountains, QLD to Mount Allyn near Barrington Tops, NSW (normally found at altitudes of between 900 - 1500 metres. Here it is living at between 800 - 840 metres.
Colony butterfly - colonies are localised - we see large numbers of specimens here in the Feb - Mar period. Increasingly they can be found flying in all our remaining grass covered areas.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: unknown
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Nov 2013, Jan 2013, Feb 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, Mar 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: POACEAE: Poa labillardieri, Poa sieberiana
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: (as for Claire Cottage) plus - Poa queenslandica, Poa tenera.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Grass areas on the edge of Rainforest.
Flight habit: Thought to be throughout the day.
Interesting Facts:
March 2018 & 2021, large numbers of this beautiful medium sized Grass-skipper in and on the edge of all our grassed areas - it was easy to spot 6 or more feeding on small flowers or sitting on grass, close together.
Last Autumn Sighting at Claire Cottage: 10/03/21