Subfamily HESPERIINAE

Family HESPERIIDAE  

This skipper subfamily is a group of orange and black medium to small size skipper butterflies. Most of them look similar and difficult to distinguish from one another. They rest with wings held erect.
 
 
Skipper butterflies in this Subfamily HESPERIIDAE like to sun-bath themselves with front wings partly open and hindwings flat. They are usually small in size, orange yellow in colour with dark brown patterns.  
 
The caterpillars feed on coarse grasses and palms.
 
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Taractrocera body length 12mm
This is a small skipper butterfly. Notice its long proboscis is inserted into the flower (2nd picture) and feeding on the nectar. Please also check this Small Grassdart page for more information.
 
 
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Ocybadistes flavovittata, body length 12mm
This is a small yellow skipper butterfly. The caterpillar is green in colour with dark brown head, feeds on blade grass. Please also visit this page.
 
 
Orange Dart, Wide-brand Grass-dart
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Suniana Sunias, body length 20mm 
This skipper butterfly is common in Brisbane bush. On it wings, the butterfly has orange colour patterns on brown back ground. The butterfly usually rests with forewings half opened and hind wings fully opened. Their larvae are pale green with black heads, build shelter and feed on different kinds of grasses. More pictures and information please click on here.
 
 
Cephrenes augiades, body length 20mm
The Orange Palmdart lay eggs on palm trees. The caterpillars are green in colour. Caterpillars lay silk on the palm leaf, the silk will then shrink the two side of the leaf together to from the shelter. More information and pictures on this page.
 
 
Yellow Palmdart, Yellow Palm Dart
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Cephrenes trichopepla,  body length 20mm
Yellow Palmdart is closely related with Orange Palmdart and their caterpillar feed on palm trees as well. Please also check this page for more information.
 
 
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Telicota colon argeus, male, body length 20mm
This butterfly is standard orange-brown of the dart colours. For the male, on his forewings there is the colon marking. The caterpillar feed on various kinds of grasses. Please check this page for more information. 
 
 
Swamp Darter
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Arrhenes marnas, body length 20mm
Pictures were taken in a Yugarapul Park in late summer 2005. We found this butterfly only once. Please check this page for more information.
 
 
? Common Swift
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? Pelopidas agna, body length 20mm 
Pictures were taken in Ford Road Conservation Area on Mar 2010. The bottom side of wings are without any patterns. It is a bit hard to tell what species it is.
 
Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 893.
2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p456. 
3. The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia - Michael F Braby, Australian National University, CSIRO 2004. 

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Last updated: February 26, 2011.