Butterflies of
Australia
Bronze Flat
Netrocoryne repanda
FELDER & FELDER, 1867
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily - PYRGINAE
Tribe - TAGIADINI
Netrocoryne repanda Mt
Ainslie, Canberra, Australia
© David Fischer
Introduction
The
genus Netrocoryne comprises of two
species - thaddeus from Papua New
Guinea, and repanda from Australia.
Both are large species that have brown wings with large hyaline
windows.
Netrocoryne repanda is
found in Queensland, New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria.
Habitats
This species inhabits open woodland at elevations between about
100-1500m according to locality.
Lifecycle
The egg is orange with vertical ribbing. It is laid singly on a
leaf of the foodplant, glued in position with a brown fluid. The
caterpillar feeds on many trees and shrubs including
Cinnamomum,
Neolitsia and Endiandra ( Lauraceae ),
Callicoma ( Cunoniaceae ),
Podocarpus ( Podocarpaceae ),
Alectryon ( Sapindaceae ),
Notelaea ( Olacaceae ),
Brachychiton ( Sterculiaceae ),
Lophostemon and Acmena ( Myrtaceae ),
Elaeocarpus ( Elaeocarpaceae )
and
Scolopia ( Salicaceae ).
During the early instars it lives within a wonderfully
constructed shelter which it makes by cutting a circular section
from the middle of a leaf, leaving a tiny section connected, which
it folds over like the lid of a tin can, and seals in position
with threads of silk. When older it abandons the shelter and
constructs a much simpler one, folding and silking an entire leaf.
The larva is pale greyish dorsally with dark olive green dorsal,
subdorsal and lateral stripes. Below the spiracles it is yellow.
The first and last segments are also yellow and carry a pair of
black spots. Pupation takes place within the final leaf shelter.
The pupa is white except for the thorax and wing cases which are
dark brown.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes rest under leaves with
their wings fully outspread when not feeding, and make periodic
forays to feed at flowers or search for potential mates.
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