''Trapezites phigalia'', commonly known as the heath ochre or phigalia skipper, is a species of

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 ...

in 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 endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where it occurs in

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 ...

and Victoria.

Description

''Trapezites phigalia'' adults are brown above and brownish-grey below with yellow or orange markings on the wings and a

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 ...

of approximately 30 millimeters. From above, the forewings each exhibit a black central area containing three yellow spots, a median yellow spot near the dorsum, and a subapical band of three pale spots, while the hindwings each exhibit a broad yellow-orange central band. From below, the forewings exhibit a central black patch and markings as above, while the hindwings are dotted with 10 brown circular markings, irregular in shape. Adult males and females appear similar, though the yellow spots on the wings are larger on females. Eggs are dome shaped, cream in colour, measuring approximately 1.2 millimeters in diameter with approximately 21 longitudinal ribs.

Larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e are pinkish-grey with a roughly-textured dark brown head, measuring up to 28 millimeters in length depending on

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

. Pupae are brown, covered with a waxy grey powder, measuring approximately 19 millimeters in length.

Behaviour and life cycle

Adults fly fast and close to the ground, readily feeding at flowers. Adult males engage in hilltopping and establish territories within a meter of the ground. Adult females lay their eggs singly on the undersides of the leaves of the species' host plants, which include several species of mat-rushes: ''

Lomandra densiflora ''Lomandra'', commonly known as mat rushes, is a genus of perennial, herbaceous monocots in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. There are 51 species, all of which are native to Australia; two of them also extend into New Guinea ...

'', ''

Lomandra fibrata ''Lomandra'', commonly known as mat rushes, is a genus of perennial, herbaceous monocots in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. There are 51 species, all of which are native to Australia; two of them also extend into New Guinea ...

'', ''

Lomandra filiformis ''Lomandra filiformis'', commonly known as wattle mat-rush, is a tussock forming perennial herb that is native to Australia. It is sparsely tufted, with strap-like leaves and yellow flowers. It grows in dry sclerophyll forest and grassy wood ...

'', ''

Lomandra glauca ''Lomandra glauca'' is a perennial, rhizomatous herb found in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian conti ...

'', '' Lomandra nana'', and '' Lomandra obliqua.'' Once hatched, the larvae construct a vertical shelter from silk and debris at the base of the host plant, resting in their shelter during the day and emerging to feed at night. Larvae

overwinter Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activi ...

inside their larval shelters.

Pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

tion may occur inside the larval shelter or in a curled dead leaf near the base of the host plant. There is a single generation each year, with adults emerging primarily in October and November.

References

* * Butterflies of Australia Insects of Australia Hesperiidae Trapezitinae Butterflies described in 1868 Taxa named by William Chapman Hewitson {{Hesperiidae-stub