Ornate Ochre Trapezites genevieveae
Wingspan: 30 - 32mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Jan (Often sighted as early as 09.00 hrs)
Distribution: Limited - From Montville (west of Buderim) QLD to Mount Allyn (Hunter Region 1125 metres altitude) NSW
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially uncommon, becoming more common with 2 or 3 often in the garden together.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Wingspan: 30 - 32mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Jan (Often sighted as early as 09.00 hrs)
Distribution: Limited - From Montville (west of Buderim) QLD to Mount Allyn (Hunter Region 1125 metres altitude) NSW
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially uncommon, becoming more common with 2 or 3 often in the garden together.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
This photo clearly shows the ♂ Ornate Ochre's proboscis dipping into a Verbena flower, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, Nov 30 2015, 11.42 am
Ornate Ochre male feeding on Buddleia, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, Dec 11 2015, 8.09 am
Ornate Ochre male showing upperside, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, Dec 9 2015, 8.47 am
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The same butterfly showing underside, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, Dec 9 2015, 8.39 am
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Ornate Ochre Trapezites genevieveae
Wingspan: 30 - 32mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Jan (Often sighted as early as 09.00 hrs)
Distribution: Limited - From Montville (west of Buderim) QLD to Mount Allyn (Hunter Region 1125 metres altitude) NSW
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially uncommon, becoming more common with 2 or 3 often in the garden together.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: within Rainforest usually near edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Last warm season sighting - Dorrigo Plateau:
Interesting Observations:
Lomandra spicata, the only known foodplant for the Ornate Ochre, grows under canopy within warm temperate and sub-tropical rainforest. The destruction of much rainforest in Northern NSW and Southern QLD has resulted in Lomandra spicata becoming a far less common sedge possibly resulting in the Ornate Ochre becoming less common also. We are thrilled to find both Lomandra spicata and the Ornate Ochre surviving in our remnant rainforest areas. We continue to plant more Lomandra spicata each year and believe it has resulted in us being able to sight the Ornate Ochre adult much more frequently with each new summer.
The Ornate Ochre is known to live in montane areas between 200 and 800 metres and has previously been recorded on the Dorrigo Plateau (Braby Butterflies of Australia Vol One CSIRO 2000). It is an uncommon butterfly whose habitat has been greatly reduced by the destruction of so much of the New South Wales and Queensland rainforests.
Two other Ochre butterflies, the Northern Silver and the Southern Silver have markings very similar to the Ornate Ochre. Photographs of both upper and under sides need to be carefully checked using a good reference book in an attempt to confirm identification. The females of these three species are very similar and are particularly difficult to identify.
Wingspan: 30 - 32mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Jan (Often sighted as early as 09.00 hrs)
Distribution: Limited - From Montville (west of Buderim) QLD to Mount Allyn (Hunter Region 1125 metres altitude) NSW
Status at Claire Cottage: Initially uncommon, becoming more common with 2 or 3 often in the garden together.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Nov 2015, Dec 2015, 2016, 2017, Jan 2018,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: LOMANDRACEAE: Lomandra spicata
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: (as for Claire Cottage) LOMANDRACEAE: Lomandra spicata only.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: within Rainforest usually near edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Last warm season sighting - Dorrigo Plateau:
Interesting Observations:
Lomandra spicata, the only known foodplant for the Ornate Ochre, grows under canopy within warm temperate and sub-tropical rainforest. The destruction of much rainforest in Northern NSW and Southern QLD has resulted in Lomandra spicata becoming a far less common sedge possibly resulting in the Ornate Ochre becoming less common also. We are thrilled to find both Lomandra spicata and the Ornate Ochre surviving in our remnant rainforest areas. We continue to plant more Lomandra spicata each year and believe it has resulted in us being able to sight the Ornate Ochre adult much more frequently with each new summer.
The Ornate Ochre is known to live in montane areas between 200 and 800 metres and has previously been recorded on the Dorrigo Plateau (Braby Butterflies of Australia Vol One CSIRO 2000). It is an uncommon butterfly whose habitat has been greatly reduced by the destruction of so much of the New South Wales and Queensland rainforests.
Two other Ochre butterflies, the Northern Silver and the Southern Silver have markings very similar to the Ornate Ochre. Photographs of both upper and under sides need to be carefully checked using a good reference book in an attempt to confirm identification. The females of these three species are very similar and are particularly difficult to identify.
