Other Common Name

Dull Jewel

Notes

This butterfly was at Redland Bay, at the end of the mangrove swamp closest to the houses and golf course. At other times H. apelles is also found at the same spot, but I’ve never seen it there despite making several trips. On the other hand I haven’t seen epicurus there since my first two visits, which were on successive days in November 2011.  

Most specimens were flying around the top of the mangroves, and perching near the top of certain mangrove trees, but at one point I found two females sitting within a few inches of each other on a very young mangrove, only about 50cm off the ground. I also found one butterfly sitting on a Cassia shrub, and the following day I found a male feeding on a mangrove only a couple of metres from the ground.

The butterflies seem to like feeding from the mangrove flowers, but unfortunately very few of the mangroves were flowering at the time.

Links

• The Complete Field Guide to Australian Butterflies (2nd edition) by Michael F. Braby
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Bob’s Butterflies
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility
• iNaturalist