Narrow-banded Awl (Hasora Khoda)

Narrow-banded Awl Hasora khoda
Wingspan: 43 - 44mm

Sighted at Claire Cottage: Nov, Dec & May

Distribution: From Fraser Island, SE Queensland to Wollongong, NSW

Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon

Narrow-banded Awl, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 24 Dec 2017, 7.24 pm

Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 4 Dec 2017 12.36 pm

A Female Narrow-banded Awl, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 7 Jan 2018, 11.15 am (The fore-wing appears to have an upperside edge white spot-not seen on other specimens).

A tattered male Narrow-banded Awl, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 21st Nov 2016 07.24pm

The same male Narrow-banded Awl enjoying a Buddleia flower 21st Nov 2016 07.22pm

Another male Narrow-banded Awl Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 19 Dec, 2017, 8.20 pm

DORRIGO PLATEAU: Nov 2016, Dec 2017, 2018-(20th-19.30), Mar 2021,(1st 09.30), May 2020 (mid afternoon 07/05/20)

ELSEWHERE: None to date

Larva Sightings:

DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
ELSEWHERE: None to date

Larval food plants:

CLAIRE COTTAGE:
FABACEAE - Callerya megasperma (Native Wisteria), *Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria)

DORRIGO PLATEAU: (as for Claire Cottage)

ELSEWHERE: (as for Claire Cottage plus)
FABACEAE - Callerya australis, (a Native Wisteria vine).

Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April

Flight habit: Throughout the day but more active early morning and very late afternoon.

Habitat: Rainforest - subtropical, warm temperate, littoral and suburban gardens.

Items of Interest:
The Narrow-banded Awl butterfly that we sighted at Claire Cottage in Nov 2016 was feeding on buddleia. Even though the weather remained fine and hot it was several days later until we saw it again and photographed it, now looking much older, its wings being quite damaged. It was feeding on Buddleia flowers between 07.30pm and 07.45pm by which time the light had began fading quickly. It was not until Dec 2017 that we sighted one in the garden again, this time on 19th Dec much later at 08.20pm but again feeding on Buddleia.

Our May 2020 sighting did not allow for a photograph as the butterfly flew close to the ground near to Carol before then climbing to the top of the nearby rainforest and going out of sight.

The Narrow-banded Awl is another infrequent visitor to our garden but a butterfly we trust will slowly increase in numbers here at Claire Cottage as our Wisteria* vine matures and we attempt to introduce native Callerya vines within our rainforest regeneration area. However during Spring 2017 possums discovered our exotic Wisteria vine and stripped it of all its leaves - regrettably this may have a negative impact on our Narrow-banded Awl population.

Narrow-banded Awl larvae when young cut out a piece of leaf and fold it back to form a shelter on the leaf surface. More mature larvae will construct shelters using several leaves and will ultimately pupate in a shelter of this nature. Larvae rest quietly in these shelters during the day and come out to feed at night.