Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona
Wingspan: Female 61mm, Male 62mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Sept to June.
Similar Species: Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
Distribution: WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
Wingspan: Female 61mm, Male 62mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Sept to June.
Similar Species: Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
Distribution: WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona
Wingspan: Female 61mm, Male 62mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Sept, Apr, Jun
Similar Species: Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
Distribution: WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: unsure
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Observations
Between 27/09/19 and 30/09/19 we sighted one male Delias argenthona each day at Claire Cottage. We assume we were probably seeing the same specimen each day as this species is uncommon on the Dorrigo Plateau. If it was the same male butterfly every day it is interesting that it chose to stay in and around our garden and not commence a journey to search for a mate. We do have a number of mistletoe's growing in and close to our garden so that may have played a part in the butterfly choosing to stay with us for such a long period particularly if there happens to be other healthy pupa yet to emerge attached to mistletoes high in our trees.
June 2020 - we again learnt the value of having the yellow flowering Buddleia growing in our garden for in comparison to other Buddleias it holds its flowers in to winter and continues to attract butterflies when our other Buddleias have ceased flowering. Not only have the June 2020 flowers photographed above withstood a 1.5C frost without any apparent damage but this bush continues to produce new flowers after a frost event.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/09/2019
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 14/04/18, 07/06/2020
Wingspan: Female 61mm, Male 62mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: Sept, Apr, Jun
Similar Species: Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
Distribution: WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Sep 2017, 2019, Apr 2018, Jun 2020,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: LORANTHACEAE: Muellerina celastroides
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: LORANTHACEAE:- Amyema bifurcata (Bloodwood or Forked Mistletoe), A. cambagei (Needle-leaf or She-oak Mistletoe), A. miquelii (Bronze or Box Mistletoe), A. miraculosa (Fleshy Mistletoe), A. pendula (Drooping Mistletoe), A. quandang quandang (Grey Mistletoe), A. sanguinea (Scarlet or Blood Mistletoe), Decaisnina signata, Dendrophthoe curvata, D. glabrescens (Orange-flowered or Smooth Mistletoe), D. odontocalyx, D. vitellina (Yellow-flowered or Long-flowered Mistletoe), Diplatia furcata (Bottlebrush Mistletoe), Lysiana maritima (Estuarine or Coastal Mistletoe), L. spathulata (Spoon-leaved Mistletoe), Muellerina eucalyptoides (Gum-leaved or Creeping Mistletoe), Santalum lanceolatum.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: unsure
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Observations
Between 27/09/19 and 30/09/19 we sighted one male Delias argenthona each day at Claire Cottage. We assume we were probably seeing the same specimen each day as this species is uncommon on the Dorrigo Plateau. If it was the same male butterfly every day it is interesting that it chose to stay in and around our garden and not commence a journey to search for a mate. We do have a number of mistletoe's growing in and close to our garden so that may have played a part in the butterfly choosing to stay with us for such a long period particularly if there happens to be other healthy pupa yet to emerge attached to mistletoes high in our trees.
June 2020 - we again learnt the value of having the yellow flowering Buddleia growing in our garden for in comparison to other Buddleias it holds its flowers in to winter and continues to attract butterflies when our other Buddleias have ceased flowering. Not only have the June 2020 flowers photographed above withstood a 1.5C frost without any apparent damage but this bush continues to produce new flowers after a frost event.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/09/2019
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 14/04/18, 07/06/2020