White-banded Grass-dart Taractrocera papyria
Wingspan: 19mm-20mm
Sighted: February - April
Wingspan: 19mm-20mm
Sighted: February - April
Larval Food Plants
Growing here; Carex brunnea, Carex longebrachiata, Echinopogon caespitosus, Imperata cylindrica, Microlaena stipoides,
Growing elsewhere; Native grasses: Austrodanthonia, Austrostipa, Cynodon, Phragmites, Poa, and some introduced grasses.
We see Grass-darts in increasing numbers each year as native grasses multiply in our paddock areas previously dominated by kikuyu.
Being very small, Grass-darts are extremely difficult to identify in the field and without clear photos of both the upper-side of the fore-wings and hind-wings still cause us plenty of identification headaches when reviewing enlarged digital photos on our computer screen.
When seen, the white band on the underside of the hind-wings is this Skipper's main distinguishing feature as demonstrated by the dew covered butterfly photographed below.
Growing here; Carex brunnea, Carex longebrachiata, Echinopogon caespitosus, Imperata cylindrica, Microlaena stipoides,
Growing elsewhere; Native grasses: Austrodanthonia, Austrostipa, Cynodon, Phragmites, Poa, and some introduced grasses.
We see Grass-darts in increasing numbers each year as native grasses multiply in our paddock areas previously dominated by kikuyu.
Being very small, Grass-darts are extremely difficult to identify in the field and without clear photos of both the upper-side of the fore-wings and hind-wings still cause us plenty of identification headaches when reviewing enlarged digital photos on our computer screen.
When seen, the white band on the underside of the hind-wings is this Skipper's main distinguishing feature as demonstrated by the dew covered butterfly photographed below.
Last annual autumn sighting - Claire Cottage: 22/04/18 @ 02.00pm unidentified Grass Dart sunning on kikuyu