Wonder Brown Heteronympha mirifica
Wingspan: 53 mm - 61 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to April - Males usually appear during October, females often appear during November.
Distribution: Australian East Coast from Eumundi and Bunya Mountains, SE QLD through NSW to Malacoota in VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Similar species: Common Brown Heteronympha merope and Varied Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona'
Wingspan: 53 mm - 61 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to April - Males usually appear during October, females often appear during November.
Distribution: Australian East Coast from Eumundi and Bunya Mountains, SE QLD through NSW to Malacoota in VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Similar species: Common Brown Heteronympha merope and Varied Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona'
This butterfly is one of the few where the sexes look completely different.
The dark-coloured female with the white forewing markings is very hard to see when she lands in the speckled shade of the forest and closes her wings, Because of the colour of the forest floor her cryptic colouring means she virtually disappears.
The male's showy orange colouring, however, makes him stand out when he perches with his wings open. When he lands on leaf litter and closes his wings, he too becomes difficult to see.
Wonder Brown Heteronympha mirifica
Wingspan: 53 mm - 61 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to April - Males usually appear during October, females usually appear late November.
Distribution: Australian East Coast from Eumundi and Bunya Mountains, SE QLD through NSW to Malacoota in VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Similar species: Common Brown Heteronympha merope and Varied Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona'
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Last autumn sighting - Claire Cottage: 29/04/18 (f) 20/04/20 (f) 18/04/21 (f) 01/05/23 (f),
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage, Dorrigo Plateau:
MALE: 10/12/18, 03/11/19, 23/10/20, 23/10/21, 21/10/23,
FEMALE: 23/11/19, 25/11/20, 11/11/21,
(mostly were newly eclosed, beautiful colours);
2021: A number of females now being sighted each January, February
Wingspan: 53 mm - 61 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to April - Males usually appear during October, females usually appear late November.
Distribution: Australian East Coast from Eumundi and Bunya Mountains, SE QLD through NSW to Malacoota in VIC.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Similar species: Common Brown Heteronympha merope and Varied Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona'
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Oct 2020m, 2021m
- Nov 2007f, 2010m 2011m 2014m 2015f, 2016m 2019, 2021mf,
- Dec 2001m 2006m 2008f,m 2010m 2011fm 2012f, 2016f, 2019, 2023f,m
- Jan 2002f, 2008f, 2009f, 2011, 2018f, 2022f,
- Feb 2006, 2008f, 2009f, 2010, 2011, 2022f, 2023f, 20243f,
- Mar 2006, 2007, 2009f, 2011, 2014f, 2016f, 2017f, 2018f, 2019f, 2020, 2022f,2, 2023f, 20242f,
- Apr 2001f, 2006, 2007f, 2011, 2018f,
- May 2023f,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to Date
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: CYPERACEAE: Gahnia clarkei, POACEAE: Oplismenus aemulus (Basket Grass), Oplismenus imbecillis (Creeping Beard Grass),
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: (as for Claire Cottage plus) POACEAE: Oplismenus undulatifolius (Wavy Leaf Basket Grass), Ottochloa gracillima, *Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu Grass)
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
Last autumn sighting - Claire Cottage: 29/04/18 (f) 20/04/20 (f) 18/04/21 (f) 01/05/23 (f),
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage, Dorrigo Plateau:
MALE: 10/12/18, 03/11/19, 23/10/20, 23/10/21, 21/10/23,
FEMALE: 23/11/19, 25/11/20, 11/11/21,
(mostly were newly eclosed, beautiful colours);
2021: A number of females now being sighted each January, February