Common Crow Euploea corinna
Wingspan: 69 mm - 72 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: November to May
Distribution: North WA & NT, CYP FNQ to Northern NSW and some short term breeding further south in NSW & VIC.
Migration distribution: during summer & autumn may extend south as far as central VIC but too cold in these areas to establish permanently.
Status Claire Cottage: seen most years
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Wingspan: 69 mm - 72 mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: November to May
Distribution: North WA & NT, CYP FNQ to Northern NSW and some short term breeding further south in NSW & VIC.
Migration distribution: during summer & autumn may extend south as far as central VIC but too cold in these areas to establish permanently.
Status Claire Cottage: seen most years
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Common Crow Euploea corinna
Wingspan: 69 mm - 72 mm
Distribution: North WA & NT, CYP FNQ to Northern NSW and some short term breeding further south in NSW & VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen most years.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Migration distribution: during summer & autumn may extend south as far as central VIC but too cold in these areas to establish permanently.
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants: (more than 50 known food plants in the following families, not all listed here - refer to Braby 2000)
Many of the Common Crow food plants are in the ASCLEPIADACEAE family which contain a chemical the butterflies need to make themselves unpalatable to birds. They obtain this chemical from the flowers, leaves and pods of ASCLEPIADACEAE plants that they feed on.
We have noted the Common Crow is less common on the Dorrigo Plateau than it is along the Mid North coast.
We remember visiting Bowraville, NSW in the 1980's and seeing the Oleanders (*Nerium oleander), planted in the centre of the main street with shining gold Christmas-like decorations hanging from the leaves. These decorations were the chrysalises of the Common Crow butterfly whose larvae had developed there in large numbers.
The larva itself is quite spectacular with its soft curly black tubercles.
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to May
Flight habit: Thought to be on the wing early morning to late afternoon.
Habitat: ranges across many habitats where its food plants are found.
Last annual autumn sighting - Dorrigo Plateau: 02/04/18; 23/05/20: 27/05/21;
Wingspan: 69 mm - 72 mm
Distribution: North WA & NT, CYP FNQ to Northern NSW and some short term breeding further south in NSW & VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen most years.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Migration distribution: during summer & autumn may extend south as far as central VIC but too cold in these areas to establish permanently.
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Nov 2004,
- Dec 2001, 2017, 2020,
- Jan 2004, 2005, 2014,
- Feb 2004, 2023,
- Apr 2018, 2020 (2);
- May 2008, 2020, 2021
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: Tallowwood Ridge (2k away), 2004 feeding on Parsonia straminea
- ELSEWHERE: Northern Beaches, Sydney, 1970's, 80's, 90's and Bowraville, NSW 1980's.
Larval Food Plants: (more than 50 known food plants in the following families, not all listed here - refer to Braby 2000)
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: APOCYNACEAE: Carissa ovata, Parsonsia straminea, ASCLEPIADACEAE: Marsdenia rostrata MORACEAE: Ficus coronata, Ficus obliqua,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: APOCYNACEAE: 4 native species & 7 introduced species. ASCLEPIADACEAE: 20 native species & 8 introduced species. MORACEAE 6 native species & 2 introduced species.
Many of the Common Crow food plants are in the ASCLEPIADACEAE family which contain a chemical the butterflies need to make themselves unpalatable to birds. They obtain this chemical from the flowers, leaves and pods of ASCLEPIADACEAE plants that they feed on.
We have noted the Common Crow is less common on the Dorrigo Plateau than it is along the Mid North coast.
We remember visiting Bowraville, NSW in the 1980's and seeing the Oleanders (*Nerium oleander), planted in the centre of the main street with shining gold Christmas-like decorations hanging from the leaves. These decorations were the chrysalises of the Common Crow butterfly whose larvae had developed there in large numbers.
The larva itself is quite spectacular with its soft curly black tubercles.
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to May
Flight habit: Thought to be on the wing early morning to late afternoon.
Habitat: ranges across many habitats where its food plants are found.
Last annual autumn sighting - Dorrigo Plateau: 02/04/18; 23/05/20: 27/05/21;