Hesperilla idothea

Hesperilla idothea (Miskin, 1889)
Flame Sedge-skipper
(one synonym : Telesto dispar Kirby, 1893)
TRAPEZITINAE, HESPERIIDAE, HESPERIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley
and
Pat & Mike Coupar

Hesperilla idothea
(Photo from: "Flying Colours", Coupar & Coupar, 1992)

This is a smooth pale green Caterpillar with a dark dorsal line and a pale brown head. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 3.5 cms. It lives in a tubular leaf shelter on its foodplant by day, feeding at night.

It has been found feeding on various Sword Grasses ( CYPERACEAE ) :

Saw Grass ( Gahnia aspera ),

Tall Saw Sedge ( Gahnia clarkei ),

Cutting Grass ( Gahnia grandis ),

Dark Fruited Saw Grass ( Gahnia melanocarpa ),

Thatch Saw Sedge ( Gahnia radula ),

Red Fruit Saw Sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana ),

Bog Saw Sedge ( Gahnia subaequiglumis ), and

Twine Rush ( Gahnia trifida ).

(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

It pupates in its tubular shelter. The pupa has a length of about 2 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Katoomba, NSW)

The adult butterflies are brown, with white spots on the forewings, orange marks on the hind wings, and a wingspan of about 4 cms. The males have rather larger markings than the females, and a thin black line across most of each forewing.

Female
(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The underside is pale brown, with black and white markings on the forewings. The males are plain pale brown under the hindwings, but the females are pale brown with an arc of several small black-encircled spots under each hindwing.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

Eggs are pale yellowish-green and are dome-shaped with about 30 microscopic ribs. As hatching approaches, patches of other colours develop. The eggs have a diameter of about 1 mm. The eggs are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Ken Walker, Mallacoota, Victoria)

The species is found along the south-eastern seaboard of Australia as two races :

idothea, and

clara Waterhouse, 1932,

Tasmania, and

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)