Silver Xenica - Oreixenica lathoniella herceus
Wingspan: 29 mm
Sighted: late March to late May annually (as best we can we try to record first & last butterfly sighting dates each year).
Distribution: restricted to mountains/tablelands above 600 metres in NSW, more common in VIC & Tasmania
Breeding Site: This small colony here at Claire Cottage lives at around 840 metres above sea level.
Status here: Common in its short (approx 200 metres) narrow Claire Cottage flight/breeding zone.
Wingspan: 29 mm
Sighted: late March to late May annually (as best we can we try to record first & last butterfly sighting dates each year).
Distribution: restricted to mountains/tablelands above 600 metres in NSW, more common in VIC & Tasmania
Breeding Site: This small colony here at Claire Cottage lives at around 840 metres above sea level.
Status here: Common in its short (approx 200 metres) narrow Claire Cottage flight/breeding zone.
A newly hatched Silver Xenica, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 5 Apr 2006, 10.45 am
A much older Silver Xenica with an interesting variation in markings on the upper-side of the forewings. Taken at Claire Cottage, Dorrigo, 2 May 2016, 4.24 pm
We have a colony of Xenicas that breed in a grassy clearing under power lines where native grasses predominate. There are also lots of scaly buttons (Leptorcynhos squamatos) from which they get nectar.
Of an evening they congregate in small groups sitting on tall grass stems.
You may see these beautiful little butterflies on the Dorrigo Plateau in Autumn if you walk part of the Syndicate Track on Killungoondie Plains starting at the end of Slingsbys Road.
Feeding on sticky substance on Paspalum seeds. Perhaps ergot fungus?
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Tasty tucker! Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 5 Apr 2006, 10.55 am
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Feeding on Scaly Button nectar, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 12 Apr 2015, 3.38 pm
Silver Xenica, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 2 Apr 2012, 2.59 pm
Silver Xenica, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 12 Mar 2006, 4.15 pm
Silver Xenica feeding on Parsonsia flowers, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 28 Mar 2016, 2.58 pm
Silver Xenica (Oreixenica lathoniella) ClaireCottage, 18 April 2021 03.25pm
Silver Xenica, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 18 Apr 2021, 3.22 pm
A variety of Silver Xenica here at Claire Cottage, Dorrigo that we had not seen before with two eye-spots (instead of the usual one) on the upper-side of the fore-wings. 11 May 2021 01.53pm
Silver Xenica, Claire Cottage, Dorrigo, 29 Apr 2021, 10.55 am
Our Silver Xenica breeding ground. There are seven butterflies in this picture - not all easy to spot. Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 12 Apr 2015, 3.43 pm
Xenica breeding ground at approx 840 metres above sea level sheltered between two rainforest remnants
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Microlaenia stipoides
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Silver Xenica - Oreixenica lathoniella herceus
Wingspan: 29 mm
Sighted: late March to late May annually (as best we can we try to record first & last butterfly sighting dates each year).
Distribution: restricted to mountains/tablelands above 600 metres in NSW, more common in VIC & Tasmania
Breeding Site: This small colony lives at around 840 metres above sea level.
Status here: Common in its small (approx 200 metres) narrow Claire Cottage flight zone. Silver Xenica butterflies do not appear to venture far from their colony breeding ground. At Claire Cottage Silver Xenica's remain in a very limited zone on the property with only an extremely rare sighting of one that has ventured outside of the small, narrow breeding zone.
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Each year from 2006 late March to late May (see some details below under Flight Season).
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Dorrigo National Park, Killungoondi Plains off Slingsbys Road Trail walk (late March to late May).
- ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
- ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larval food plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: POACEAE - Microlaena stipoides, Poa enisformis, Poa labillardieri.
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: (as for Claire Cottage)
Status Dorrigo Plateau: uncommon Flight habit: Throughout the day in the limited flight period.
Pre-Flight Season - Claire Cottage Silver Xenica colony
We begin looking for the first eclosed butterflies mid to late March.
Unsuccessful early search dates 2021-24/03/21 - Warm and sunny after 6 days of overcast weather with approx 200mm of rain.
Flight Season - Claire Cottage Silver Xenica colony
The annual flight season here is limited to 6-8 weeks depending on weather conditions. NB we do not check this more remote area (from the cottage) every day.
1st sighting 2018; 01/04/18; last sighting 2018; 03/05/18
1st sighting 2019; 06/04/19; last sighting 2019; 05/05/19
1st sighting 2020; 09/04/20; last sighting 2020; 25/05/20 (minimum night temps from 30/04/20 for 15 days ranged between 4.0C and 11.0C).
1st sighting 2021; 02/04/21; last sighting 2021; 20/05/21 (minimum night temps from 11/04/21 for 2 nights ranged between 2.0C and 5.0C).
18/04/21 Silver Xenicas sightings in approx 30 minutes around 03.00pm in intermittent sun - 16..
19/04/21 we sighted 22 in the morning & 12 in the afternoon - so good to see numbers are holding up.
22/04/21 I saw 15 in about 15 minutes mid afternoon around 14.30pm.
25/04/21 between 11.45 am and 12.30pm we sighted in excess of 50 in warm sunshine with an occasional southerly breeze - wonderful to see such good numbers.
29/04/21 in warm sunshine we sighted over 30 in approx 20 minutes.
11/05/21 we sighted more than 10 in warm sunshine between 1300hrs & 1400 hrs.
27/05/21 a midday search for 30 minutes produced no sightings.
