''Taractrocera papyria'', the white-banded grass-dart, is a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
of the family
Hesperiidae
Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...
. It is found in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
,
Victoria and
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...
is about 30 mm.
The Western Australian subspecies lacks the white markings of the nominate species.
The larvae feed on ''
Phragmites australis'', ''
Microlaena stipoides
''Microlaena stipoides'', Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Ehrharta stipoides'', is a species of Poaceae, grass. It occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. '', ''
Imperata cylindrica
''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of Perennial plant, perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has al ...
'', ''
Echinopogon caespitosus
''Echinopogon caespitosus'', the bushy hedgehog grass or tufted hedgehog grass, is a species of grass native to southeastern Australia. It is often found in disturbed areas. The original specimen was collected at Katoomba railway station in 1931, ...
'', ''
Cynodon dactylon'', ''
Austrostipa scabra'', ''
Austrodanthonia'', ''
Carex gaudichaudiana'', ''
Paspalum dilatatum'', ''
Oryza sativa'', ''
Pennisetum clandestinum'', ''
Ehrharta longiflora'', ''
Ehrharta calycina
''Ehrharta calycina'' is a species of grass known by the common names perennial veldtgrass and purple veldtgrass.
Distribution
It is native to southern Africa; from South Africa (within the Cape Provinces, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal), Lesotho ...
'' and ''
Poa
''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...
'' species. It constructs a shelter in which pupation takes place.
Subspecies
*''Taractrocera papyria agraulia''
(Hewitson, 1868) - western grass-dart (south-western Australia)
*''Taractrocera papyria papyria''
(Boisduval, 1832) (Lord Howe Island, eastern and south-eastern Australian and Tasmania)
External links
Australian InsectsAustralian Faunal DirectoryPhylogeny and biogeography of the genus Taractrocera Butler, 1870 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), an example of Southeast Asian-Australian interchange
Taractrocerini
Butterflies described in 1832
{{hesperiinae-stub