Splendid Ochre Trapezites symmomus
Wingspan: 42 - 46mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to April
Distribution: 3 subspecies - Trapezites symmomus sombra, Trapezites symmomus symmomus, Trapezites symmomus soma,
Trapezites symmomus sombra from just west of Mossman, FNQ south to just west of Townsville FNQ.
Trapezites symmomus symmomus coastal from vicinity of Seventeen Seventy south through NSW to west of Orbost, VIC.
Trapezites symmomus soma coastal from near Wilsons Promontory VIC to Millicent, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: common,
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Wingspan: 42 - 46mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to April
Distribution: 3 subspecies - Trapezites symmomus sombra, Trapezites symmomus symmomus, Trapezites symmomus soma,
Trapezites symmomus sombra from just west of Mossman, FNQ south to just west of Townsville FNQ.
Trapezites symmomus symmomus coastal from vicinity of Seventeen Seventy south through NSW to west of Orbost, VIC.
Trapezites symmomus soma coastal from near Wilsons Promontory VIC to Millicent, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: common,
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus), Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 25 Apr 2020
Splendid Ochre female, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 22 Feb 2006 2.05 pm
Splendid Ochre ♂ showing both upperside and underside, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 6 Feb 2015, 11.40 am
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Lomandra longifolia
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Egg laid on bracken growing next to Lomandra longifolia. Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, 25 Dec 2018
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Close-up of egg
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Splendid Ochre ♂,Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 11 Dec 2015, 7.52 am
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Splendid Ochre ♀ resting, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 21 Dec 2015, 2.54 pm
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Caught taking off from feeding on a flower, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 24 Mar 2018, 12.37 pm
Splendid Ochre ♀, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 27 Feb 2016, 1.43 pm
Splendid Ochre ♂, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 18.Feb 2016, 1.53 pm
Male Splendid Ochre sharing nectar with a drone fly (Eristalis tenax), Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 18 Feb 2016, 1.49 pm
Female Splendid Ochre, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 11 Dec 2015, 8.26 am
Male Splendid Ochre, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 7 Feb 2017, 4.23 pm
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Underside - male Splendid Ochre, Claire Cottage, 7 Feb 2017, 4.23 pm
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A female Splendid Ochre showing a dusting of white over much of her hindwing, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 15 Feb 2016, 8.09 am
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The same female Splendid Ochre with another view of the dusting of white scales on her hindwing, 15 Feb 2016, 8.14 am
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Female Splendid Ochre, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 6 Jan 2018, 12.58 pm
Female drinking whilst resting after a shower of rain, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 28 Jan, 2018, 12.22 pm
Splendid Ochre Trapezites symmomus
Wingspan: 42 - 46mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to April
Distribution: 3 subspecies - Trapezites symmomus sombra, Trapezites symmomus symmomus, Trapezites symmomus soma,
Trapezites symmomus sombra from just west of Mossman, FNQ south to just west of Townsville FNQ.
Trapezites symmomus symmomus coastal from vicinity of Seventeen Seventy south through NSW to west of Orbost, VIC.
Trapezites symmomus soma coastal from near Wilsons Promontory VIC to Millicent, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: common,
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Information: 25/01/18 - Watched a female Splendid Ochre lay an egg on a Lomandra longifolia flower stalk in a difficult situation preventing the opportunity to take a photograph. The Splendid Ochre is the most common of the Ochres that we see at Claire Cottage.
The Splendid Ochre is common here @ 800 metres being seen each warm season on our 20 acre property, numbers appear to have increased along with the introduction and annual increase in the numbers of their preferred food plant - Lomandra longifolia. We have also introduced Lomandra hystrix in considerable numbers and Lomandra spicata which also occurs naturally here in our rainforest remnants.
Splendid Ochre caterpillars make shelters in the Lomandra in which to rest during the day. The young caterpillars sow fresh food plant leaves together whereas later instar caterpillars use older leavesto rest in. They feed at night.
The Splendid Ochre usually pupate in leaf litter at the base of their foodplant.
Last 'autumn' sighting - Claire Cottage: 24/03/18 - 22/04/19 - 25/04/20 - 14/04/21
First 'spring' sighting - Dorrigo Plateau: 30/11/18
Wingspan: 42 - 46mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: November to April
Distribution: 3 subspecies - Trapezites symmomus sombra, Trapezites symmomus symmomus, Trapezites symmomus soma,
Trapezites symmomus sombra from just west of Mossman, FNQ south to just west of Townsville FNQ.
Trapezites symmomus symmomus coastal from vicinity of Seventeen Seventy south through NSW to west of Orbost, VIC.
Trapezites symmomus soma coastal from near Wilsons Promontory VIC to Millicent, SA.
Status Claire Cottage: common,
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Nov 2016, 2018, Dec 2001, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, Jan 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, Feb 2006, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021(2+), Mar 2011, 2017, 2018, Apr 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere:
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: LOMANDRACEAE: Lomandra longifolia, L. hystrix, L. spicata
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: LOMANDRACEAE: Lomandra filiformis, L. obliqua
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Interesting Information: 25/01/18 - Watched a female Splendid Ochre lay an egg on a Lomandra longifolia flower stalk in a difficult situation preventing the opportunity to take a photograph. The Splendid Ochre is the most common of the Ochres that we see at Claire Cottage.
The Splendid Ochre is common here @ 800 metres being seen each warm season on our 20 acre property, numbers appear to have increased along with the introduction and annual increase in the numbers of their preferred food plant - Lomandra longifolia. We have also introduced Lomandra hystrix in considerable numbers and Lomandra spicata which also occurs naturally here in our rainforest remnants.
Splendid Ochre caterpillars make shelters in the Lomandra in which to rest during the day. The young caterpillars sow fresh food plant leaves together whereas later instar caterpillars use older leavesto rest in. They feed at night.
The Splendid Ochre usually pupate in leaf litter at the base of their foodplant.
Last 'autumn' sighting - Claire Cottage: 24/03/18 - 22/04/19 - 25/04/20 - 14/04/21
First 'spring' sighting - Dorrigo Plateau: 30/11/18
