Spotted Brown Heteronympha paradelpha
Wingspan: 43mm - 46mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: February to April
Distribution: Found at several locations on the QLD - NSW border, then found from Deervale and Dorrigo (NSW Mid North Coast) south through coastal NSW, the ACT, to Macedon VIC with two disjunct populations further west at Lorne and Mt Buangor VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Three other Heteronympha. Heteronympha banksii, Heteronympha solandri, Heteronympha penelope
Wingspan: 43mm - 46mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: February to April
Distribution: Found at several locations on the QLD - NSW border, then found from Deervale and Dorrigo (NSW Mid North Coast) south through coastal NSW, the ACT, to Macedon VIC with two disjunct populations further west at Lorne and Mt Buangor VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Three other Heteronympha. Heteronympha banksii, Heteronympha solandri, Heteronympha penelope
Heteronympha paradelpha, the Spotted Brown, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, 2 Apr 2021, 1.49 pm
Heteronympha paradelpha, a male Spotted Brown, Claire Cottage, Dorrigo Plateau, feeding on a Parsonsia straminea vine 6 Feb 2015 11.49am
Mating pair of Heteronympha paradelpha, the Spotted Brown, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau (female on top) 23 Feb 2008 11.56am
Heteronympha paradelpha, Spotted Brown male, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau, 1 Mar 2008 1.00pm
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Heteronympha paradelpha, Spotted Brown female, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau 1 Mar 2008 12.56pm
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Heteronympha paradelpha, Spotted Brown male, Claire Cottage Dorrigo Plateau 15 Feb 2016 11.58am
This newly emerged Heteronympha paradelpha, Spotted Brown female has three distinct eye-spots on the underside of its hindwings instead of the more usual two. 15 Apr 2009 11.51am
Heteronympha paradelpha, Spotted Brown, Claire Cottage, Dorrigo Plateau 18 Feb 2016 12.08pm
Spotted Brown Heteronympha paradelpha
Wingspan: 43mm - 46mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: February to April
Distribution: Found at several locations on the QLD - NSW border, then found from Deervale and Dorrigo (NSW Mid North Coast) south through coastal NSW, the ACT, to Macedon, VIC with two disjunct populations further west at Lorne and Mt Buangor VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Three other Heteronympha. Heteronympha banksii, Heteronympha solandri, Heteronympha penelope.
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/2016
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/2016, 15/04/18 (female), 29/04/19, 25/04/20, 08/03/21,
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
Like the Shouldered Brown we see this beautiful butterfly often during the day in its three month flying season of Feb to Apr, even if the sun is not shining. It is an early riser appearing as soon as the first sun rays warm the trees on the rainforest edge and it can often be seen flying late in to the evening until the sun drops below the horizon.
As native grasses continue to multiply on our property, gradually replacing some of the introduced kikuyu, these beautiful butterflies have become far more numerous. February 2017 saw them common in shady areas around our property. They frequent cool shady zones on the edge of our rainforest and under pockets of paddock trees sitting on grass stems or low tree branches and will often congregate in an area flying in twos, threes or fours as they appear to enjoy flight games together or maybe they are selecting mates.
It is difficult, particularly in flight, to identify Spotted Browns from Shouldered Browns. A good photograph is the only wat to be sure which species you are seeing.
In general the male Spotted Brown is not as orange on the upper side of its wings as the male Shouldered Brown. The eye spots on the underside of the Spotted Brown's hind-wings are more defined than those of the other Browns.
Wingspan: 43mm - 46mm
Sighted at Claire Cottage: February to April
Distribution: Found at several locations on the QLD - NSW border, then found from Deervale and Dorrigo (NSW Mid North Coast) south through coastal NSW, the ACT, to Macedon, VIC with two disjunct populations further west at Lorne and Mt Buangor VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: seen annually
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
NOTE: Similar species: Three other Heteronympha. Heteronympha banksii, Heteronympha solandri, Heteronympha penelope.
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Feb 2002, 2004, 2006(2), 2008(mating pair), 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017(f), 2018, 2019(m), 2021(m) Mar 2007, 2008, 2010 2017, 2018, 2021(f&m), Apr 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018(f), 2020, 2021(3)(m):
- 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: Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass), Poa labillardieri, Poa sieberiana,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: POACEAE: Poa queenslandica, Poa tenera (Slender Tussock Grass)
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/2016
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/2016, 15/04/18 (female), 29/04/19, 25/04/20, 08/03/21,
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
Like the Shouldered Brown we see this beautiful butterfly often during the day in its three month flying season of Feb to Apr, even if the sun is not shining. It is an early riser appearing as soon as the first sun rays warm the trees on the rainforest edge and it can often be seen flying late in to the evening until the sun drops below the horizon.
As native grasses continue to multiply on our property, gradually replacing some of the introduced kikuyu, these beautiful butterflies have become far more numerous. February 2017 saw them common in shady areas around our property. They frequent cool shady zones on the edge of our rainforest and under pockets of paddock trees sitting on grass stems or low tree branches and will often congregate in an area flying in twos, threes or fours as they appear to enjoy flight games together or maybe they are selecting mates.
It is difficult, particularly in flight, to identify Spotted Browns from Shouldered Browns. A good photograph is the only wat to be sure which species you are seeing.
In general the male Spotted Brown is not as orange on the upper side of its wings as the male Shouldered Brown. The eye spots on the underside of the Spotted Brown's hind-wings are more defined than those of the other Browns.