Glasswing Acraea andromacha
Wingspan: 53 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Aug - May
Distribution: From Exmouth, WA through NT to Doomadgee near the Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD. And from CYP., FNQ south through coastal QLD to central coastal NSW.
Migration: Acraea andromacha migrates some years much further south to the Victorian border and west well inland. Why these migrations occur is not understood as they are beyond the range of its larval foodplant.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Wingspan: 53 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Aug - May
Distribution: From Exmouth, WA through NT to Doomadgee near the Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD. And from CYP., FNQ south through coastal QLD to central coastal NSW.
Migration: Acraea andromacha migrates some years much further south to the Victorian border and west well inland. Why these migrations occur is not understood as they are beyond the range of its larval foodplant.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Glasswing feeding on Easter Daisy
A Glasswing in our paddock roosting on dried grass for the night
Another roosting Glasswing on a young Acacia tree
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Tarragon flowers provide nectar for a Glasswing
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Glasswing caterpillar feeding on an exotic passionfruit
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At the end of March we still have a few Buddleia flowers to help feed visiting butterflies
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Our first Glasswing sighting of the season 10th Sept 2017
Glasswing Acraea andromacha
Wingspan: 53 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Aug - May
Distribution: From Exmouth, WA through NT to Doomadgee near the Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD. And from CYP., FNQ south through coastal QLD to central coastal NSW.
Migration: Acraea andromacha migrates some years much further south to the Victorian border and further west well inland. Why these migrations occur is not understood as they are beyond the range of its larval food plant.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought not to be breeding at Claire Cottage.
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/16, 05/11/18, 12/03/21,
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/16, 14/04/18, 07/04/19, 14/03/21,
Interesting Observations:
* Most evenings in Summer 2006 we were able to find one or two Acraea andromacha sitting on tall grass stems in our large kikuyu paddock. In 2008 - things had changed and we only observed this same behaviour twice.
* According to Roger Kitching in his book, The Butterflies of Australia, the males capture a newly hatched female, "carrying them to the ground where they mate forcibly. Mating lasts for 90-150 minutes and the male deposits a sphragis." A sphragis prevents other males from then mating with her.
* A general comment - Acraea andromacha butterflies have a weak flight.
Wingspan: 53 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Aug - May
Distribution: From Exmouth, WA through NT to Doomadgee near the Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD. And from CYP., FNQ south through coastal QLD to central coastal NSW.
Migration: Acraea andromacha migrates some years much further south to the Victorian border and further west well inland. Why these migrations occur is not understood as they are beyond the range of its larval food plant.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Aug 2002, Sep 2013, 2017(2), Oct 2003, 2008, 2009, Nov 2003, 2004, 2016, Dec 2002, 2005, 2010, Jan 2002, 2004, 2006, 2015, Feb 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008(2), 2011, 2016, Mar 2006, 2008(4), 2011, 2015(6), 2016, 2021(2), Apr 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015(10), 2016, 2018(2), May 2004,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere:
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None known here at Claire Cottage
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage) None known
- ELSEWHERE: PASSIFLORPHYLLA - Adenia heterophylla ssp. heterophylla, Adenia heterophylla ssp. australis, Passiflora aurantia, P. cinnabarina, P. herbertiana, *P. caerulea, *P. foetida, *P. mollissima, VIOLACEAE - Hybanthus aurantiacus, H. enneaspermus, H. monopetalus, H. stellarioides,
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought not to be breeding at Claire Cottage.
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/16, 05/11/18, 12/03/21,
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/16, 14/04/18, 07/04/19, 14/03/21,
Interesting Observations:
* Most evenings in Summer 2006 we were able to find one or two Acraea andromacha sitting on tall grass stems in our large kikuyu paddock. In 2008 - things had changed and we only observed this same behaviour twice.
* According to Roger Kitching in his book, The Butterflies of Australia, the males capture a newly hatched female, "carrying them to the ground where they mate forcibly. Mating lasts for 90-150 minutes and the male deposits a sphragis." A sphragis prevents other males from then mating with her.
* A general comment - Acraea andromacha butterflies have a weak flight.
