Evening Brown Melanitis leda
Wingspan: 60 mm - 63 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Dec - Apr
There are two seasonal forms; a dry season form and a wet season form.
Distribution: northern WA, the northern areas of NT, all QLD east coast, NSW east coast south to Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
NOTE: No similar species.
Wingspan: 60 mm - 63 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Dec - Apr
There are two seasonal forms; a dry season form and a wet season form.
Distribution: northern WA, the northern areas of NT, all QLD east coast, NSW east coast south to Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
NOTE: No similar species.
Evening Brown wet season form, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, Dec 29th 2018, 3.49 pm
Wet season form Evening Brown resting on leaf litter, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, Feb 2011, 7.53 am
Dry season form Evening Brown showing a little of the orange and brown upper wing, Bellingen Is., May 2016, 2.38 pm
Wet season form, Urunga Wetlands, 6 Dec 2018 4.11 pm
Evening Brown dry season form, Bellilngen Is., Apr 2008, 2.29 pm
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Themeda triandra (North Haven NSW)
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Evening Brown Melanitis leda
Wingspan: 60 mm - 63 mm
Sighted: December to April
Distribution: northern WA, the northern areas of NT, all QLD east coast, NSW east coast south to Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle.
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Flight habit: Tends to fly short distances before settling on leaf litter. Resumes short flights if disturbed.
Last autumn sighting - Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau: 15/04/18 - 08.50am (Dry Season Form)
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau: 29/12/18 - 17.30pm (Wet Season Form), 07/12/20 17.00pm (Wet Season Form)
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
For a long while it proved difficult to get a photo of an Evening Brown with its wings open. We noted as soon as Evening Browns land on leaf litter they close their wings and immediately blend in with the leaf litter. To photograph them one needs to watch carefully the exact spot where an Evening Brown lands. After settling on leaf litter the Evening Brown disappears in to the background and can be very difficult to find in order to take a photo.
The first Evening Brown we found at Claire Cottage (17th Feb 2010) was attracted to our verandah moth light, after dark, but still in early evening, settling on our moth sheet.
Mostly Evening Browns are spotted on the wing in early morning or late afternoon, they prefer to fly in shady areas under trees. They tend to fly close to the ground and only fly short distances before re-settling on leaf litter.
Wingspan: 60 mm - 63 mm
Sighted: December to April
Distribution: northern WA, the northern areas of NT, all QLD east coast, NSW east coast south to Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle.
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Dec 2018, 2020; Jan 2019 (4), Feb 2010, 2011, Apr 2018,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: POACEAE: Imperata cylindrica (Blady Grass)
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: POACEAE: - Chrysopogon sp., Heteropogon triticeus (Giant Speargrass), Leersia hexandra (Swamp Ricegrass) Ophiuros exaltatus (Canegrass), Themeda australis (Kangaroo Grass), *Melinis minutiflora (Molasses grass), *Pennisetum pedicellatum (Desho grass), *Saccharum sp., (Sugarcane), *Sorghum verticilliflorum, (Wild Sudan Grass), *Sorghum vulgare (Sorghum Bicolor), *Stenotaphrum secundatum (Buffalo Grass),
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Flight habit: Tends to fly short distances before settling on leaf litter. Resumes short flights if disturbed.
Last autumn sighting - Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau: 15/04/18 - 08.50am (Dry Season Form)
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau: 29/12/18 - 17.30pm (Wet Season Form), 07/12/20 17.00pm (Wet Season Form)
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
For a long while it proved difficult to get a photo of an Evening Brown with its wings open. We noted as soon as Evening Browns land on leaf litter they close their wings and immediately blend in with the leaf litter. To photograph them one needs to watch carefully the exact spot where an Evening Brown lands. After settling on leaf litter the Evening Brown disappears in to the background and can be very difficult to find in order to take a photo.
The first Evening Brown we found at Claire Cottage (17th Feb 2010) was attracted to our verandah moth light, after dark, but still in early evening, settling on our moth sheet.
Mostly Evening Browns are spotted on the wing in early morning or late afternoon, they prefer to fly in shady areas under trees. They tend to fly close to the ground and only fly short distances before re-settling on leaf litter.
