Only one Caterpillar is usually found in any one grass tussock. The early instars of this Caterpillar are green, with a black head. Later instars are brown with a darker lines along the body. They have a round brown head, and a forked tail. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 3 cms.

The pupa is mottled brown and is formed in the debris at the base of its foodplant. Its length is about 2 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of E.D. Edwards, from "Butterflies of Australia" by M.F. Braby)

The adults are dark brown with white and orange markings. There is one eyespot on each fore wing, and two or three one each hind wing.

Heteronympha penelope panope
(Specimen: courtesy of Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The undersides are similar but paler. The adults have a wing span of about 5 cms. Another mountain insect, it flies at altitudes above 700m. The males are typical of the genus and are quite active. Their preferred habitat is the more open eucalypt woodland where they can by locally quite common at times.

underside
Heteronympha penelope panope
(Specimen: courtesy of Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The species is found in the south-eastern quarter of Australia as several races :

The species is unusual in that the fertilized female of this butterfly acquires a genital sphragis.

Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 512-513.

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