Cethosia penthesilea (Orange Lacewing)

Notes

Prior to my trip to NT in April 2018 I’d only seen this species in butterfly houses. I finally saw them in the wild on the Marraki Road, where a few were feeding from flowers. Unfortunately there was a bit of a breeze which caused the flowers to move a lot, and the butterflies never settled for more than a few moments.

On my April 2021 visit to Cairns I saw one of these butterflies in the Mount Whitfield Conservation Park, not far from the Botanic Gardens. I’d heard that escapees from the little butterfly house in the Gardens had been breeding in the wild around Cairns, and this sighting supported that.

Sightings

Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary – October 2005
Marraki Road, NT – April 2018
Cairns – April 2021

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