​Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia  (formerly D. chrysippus petilia)
Wingspan: 60mm

​Sighted: December - August

Lesser Wanderer, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 2 Mar 2020

Female Lesser Wanderer, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 31 Jan 2012

Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 2 Mar 2020

Lesser Wanderer (underside) with a chunk of wing missing, Urunga NSW, 17 Feb 2012

Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia  (formerly D. chrysippus petilia)
Wingspan: 60mm

​Sighted: December - May

Distribution:  Australia wide

Butterfly Sightings:   

• CLAIRE COTTAGE:  Dec 2008, 20?;  Jan 2001, 2002; 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, Feb 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008; 2010, 2020; Mar 2013, 2020;  Apr 2013 (2);  May 2012, 2013, 2019; June 2020; July 2020; Aug 2020;
  

• Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: Occasional sightings.
  

Larva Sightings:

• CLAIRE COTTAGE: 
• Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date

Larval food plants:

• CLAIRE COTTAGE: Asclepiadaceae: Marsdenia rostrata (Common Milk Vine)


• Elsewhere on DORRIGO PLATEAU: (as for Claire Cottage plus) Apocynaceae: *Asclepias curassavica (Red Cotton Bush),  *Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Milkweed-Balloon Cotton Bush),


• ELSEWHERE: (as for Dorrigo Plateau plus)   Apocynaceae: Cynanchum carnosum (Mangrove Milk Vine), 

Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau:  Thought to be December to May

Status Dorrigo Plateau:  uncommon

Flight habit: Throughout the day.

Habitat: Wide variety of habitats across much of Australia

Items of Interest:


Last autumn/winter season sighting in 2019: 08/05/19; in 2020 01/07/20