Shouldered Brown Heteronympha penelope penelope
Wingspan: 54 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: March - May
There are four subspecies:
Heteronympha penelope penelope - SE. QLD right through E. NSW including ACT on to & through VIC to W. VIC
Heteronympha penelope alope - restricted to Lorne district in SW. VIC
Heteronympha penelope diemeni - restricted to King Island in Bass Straight & NW, Northern & Eastern TAS
Heteronympha penelope panope - restricted to Central Plateau Western & Central TAS.
Distribution: Refer to details shown above under subspecies.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Two other Heteronympha species, Heteronympha merope & Heteronympha paradelpha.
Wingspan: 54 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: March - May
There are four subspecies:
Heteronympha penelope penelope - SE. QLD right through E. NSW including ACT on to & through VIC to W. VIC
Heteronympha penelope alope - restricted to Lorne district in SW. VIC
Heteronympha penelope diemeni - restricted to King Island in Bass Straight & NW, Northern & Eastern TAS
Heteronympha penelope panope - restricted to Central Plateau Western & Central TAS.
Distribution: Refer to details shown above under subspecies.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Two other Heteronympha species, Heteronympha merope & Heteronympha paradelpha.
Shouldered Brown Heteronympha penelope penelope
Wingspan: 54 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: March - May
There are four subspecies:
Heteronympha penelope penelope - SE. QLD right through E. NSW including ACT on to & through VIC to W. VIC
Heteronympha penelope alope - restricted to Lorne district in SW. VIC
Heteronympha penelope diemeni - restricted to King Island in Bass Straight & NW, Northern & Eastern TAS
Heteronympha penelope panope - restricted to Central Plateau Western & Central TAS.
Distribution: Refer to details shown above under subspecies.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
NOTE: Similar species: Two other Heteronympha species, Heteronympha merope & Heteronympha paradelpha.
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Edge of forest in grass and scattered shrubs and trees.
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 08/03/17
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: May
INTERESTING OBSERVATION
During its restricted flying season from March to May this beautiful butterfly can be quite common here. We see them at any time of the day. They are often seen after being disturbed from a vegetation perch when you may see the bright orange/brown of the upper side of their fore-wings. However, it is difficult in the field to distinguish between the various Browns we sight here so we always rely on identifying specimens from photographs to ensure correct identification.
Wingspan: 54 - 56mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: March - May
There are four subspecies:
Heteronympha penelope penelope - SE. QLD right through E. NSW including ACT on to & through VIC to W. VIC
Heteronympha penelope alope - restricted to Lorne district in SW. VIC
Heteronympha penelope diemeni - restricted to King Island in Bass Straight & NW, Northern & Eastern TAS
Heteronympha penelope panope - restricted to Central Plateau Western & Central TAS.
Distribution: Refer to details shown above under subspecies.
Status Claire Cottage: uncommon
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be uncommon
NOTE: Similar species: Two other Heteronympha species, Heteronympha merope & Heteronympha paradelpha.
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Mar 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 (m), 2013 (m), 2014 (m&f), 2015, 2016 (m), 2017 (m),
- Apr 2004, 2010 (m&f), 2013 (m), 2015, 2016, 2017 (m), 2018,
- May 2009 (f),
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: POACEAE: Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass - grows on our road boundary).
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: POACEAE: Austrodanthonia penicillata (NSW, VIC. TAS) - Slender Wallaby Grass, Austrodanthonia pilosa (NSW, VIC, SA, TAS) - Smooth-flowered Wallaby Grass.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Edge of forest in grass and scattered shrubs and trees.
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 08/03/17
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: May
INTERESTING OBSERVATION
During its restricted flying season from March to May this beautiful butterfly can be quite common here. We see them at any time of the day. They are often seen after being disturbed from a vegetation perch when you may see the bright orange/brown of the upper side of their fore-wings. However, it is difficult in the field to distinguish between the various Browns we sight here so we always rely on identifying specimens from photographs to ensure correct identification.