Telicota augias

Telicota augias (Linnaeus, 1763)
Bright-orange Darter
(previously known as Papilio augias)
HESPERIINAE, HESPERIIDAE, HESPERIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Telicota augias
(Photo: courtesy of Braden McDonald , Iron Range, Queensland)

This Caterpillar is green, and has a pale brown head with an inverted dark 'V' mark. There is a faint dark line along the back. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 3cms. It has been found feeding on :

Supplejack ( Flagellaria indica, COMMELINACEAE ).

The Caterpillar constructs a shelter out of leaves joined with silk, resting head downward in this by day, emerging to feed at night. The shelter is often constructed near the tip of the leaf on which it feeds, leaving only the midrib to support the shelter.

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis, Sydney, New South Wales)

The butterflies of this species are brown with orange markings. The undersides are paler. The males have a long grey patch of the top of each forewing. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 3 cms.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Collection, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney)

Several subspecies of this species have been recognised across south-east Asia, including:

Philippines,

Singapore, and

Thailand.

More subspecies have been proposed in Australia, including krefftii (Macleay, 1866), in

the north of Western Australia,

Northern Territory,

Queensland, and

New South Wales and Victoria,

Male underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Collection, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney)