Netrocoryne repanda (Bronze Flat)

Netrocoryne repanda repanda
Netrocoryne repanda expansa

Other Common Names

Eastern Flat

Notes

I first came across one battered individual in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was a cloudy morning, which is reportedly the sort of weather this species prefers. The name “Flat” is well-deserved, as this butterfly really does sit with its wings open at 180 degrees – it’s flatter than my ex-wife.

My second sighting was a hill-topping male in the Royal National Park near Heathcote. He was happy enough to pose for photos, though he regularly took off for a quick tour around the hilltop, before returning to perch again on a low shrub.

Most of my encounters with this species have been on hilltops, though they might crop up lust about anywhere within their range. I’ve also been fortunate enough to see the North Queensland subspecies expansa around Cairns; it’s darker in colour and a little smaller than the NSW version.

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