The eggs of this species are laid singly on leaves of a food plant. They are white with brown markings, and are hemispherical with vertical ridges. They have a diameter of about 1/2 mm.

(Photo courtesy of: R. Grund)

The Caterpillar is smooth and pale brown with faint longitudinal banding It has a large dark head with an inverted 'Y' mark on it. During the daytime, the Caterpillar hides in a leaf shelter near the base of its food plant, and feeds nocturnally on various species of Mat-Rush ( XANTHORRHOEACEAE ) :

Romnalda strobilacea,

and grows to a length of about 4 cms.

It pupates in its leaf shelter.

male
(Photo: courtesy of R.Grund)

The adult butterfly is brown, with a few white and yellow markings on the wings. It has a wingspan of about 5 cms.

male, underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

It is found mainly along the eastern side of mainland Australia as several subspecies, including :

soma in Victoria and South Australia.

(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

The species is considered to be endangered

(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

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Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 1, pp 112-113.

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