Northern Territory
In April 2024 I made my second trip to Darwin, this time with Ross McLaren who hadn’t been butterflying in the Northern Territory before. On the whole it was quite a successful trip, though with a couple of slow days. The big surprise of the trip was encountering Danaid Eggflies (Hypolimnas misippus) on several occasions. The first of these was on my first afternoon in Darwin; Ross and I were at East Point along with Richard Weir; I fell behind as I was trying to photograph a rather battered Pale Triange (Graphium eurypylus) when a female missippus flew past and settled on the underside of a leaf close to where I was standing. It didn’t make for a great photo, as the leaf partly obscured the butterfly, but it was my first ever sighting of a Danaid Eggfly so I was thrilled.
More sightings of females followed over the next couple of days, at Buffalo Creek and East Point, and we then saw 3 males on a trip with Richard to Mount Burrell (a.k.a. Burrell’s trig). Ross and I then had the pleasure of seeing around a dozen specimens, including beautiful fresh specimens of both sexes, on a day spent around the perimeter of the Leanyer Sewage Ponds. Whilst not the most attractive (or fragrant) of butterflying locations, the Sewage Ponds also gave us some sightings of the gorgeous Mangrove Jezebel (Delias aestiva) and the lovely NT subspecies of Orange Ringlet (Hypocysta adiante antirius). I only managed to get one photo of aestiva this time, but fortunately it was a male (I had photographed a female on my previous visit in 2018).
Another highlight – and another new species for me – came on the last day of our trip, when Richard took us out to a spot in the Kakadu National Park to see the Rock Grass-dart (Taractrocera ilia). These darts live on sandstone pavements that become so hot that in the middle of the day the butterflies hide in the shade of overhanging rocks, which is where I took my photos. Of course the ilia aren’t the only creatures to take advantage of the shade; I saw one unfortunate specimen fly into a shady spot and end up going straight into the web of a hungry spider.
(Hypolimnas misippus)
(Hypolimnas misippus)
Photo Gallery Updates
Most of these additions are from the Northern Territory, though there are also some taken in the Sydney area during February and March.
New species
New subspecies or forms
These are all the Northern Territory versions. It is probable that those listed as ‘forms” are undescribed subspecies.
- Protographium leosthenes geimbia (Four-barred Swordtail). Larvae only.
- Hypochrysops ignitus erythrina (Fiery Jewel). Ova and larva only.
- Arhopala eupolis asopus (Purple Oak-blue)
- Arhopala micale Northern form (Shining Oak-blue)
- Eirmocides margarita gilberti (Trident Pencil-blue)
- Nacaduba kurava felsina (White-banded Line-blue)
- Hasora hurama territorialis (Broad-banded Awl) – terrible photos; sorry!
- Hesperilla crypsigramma Top End form (Wide-brand Sedge-skipper)
- Cephrenes augiades Northern form (Orange Palm-dart)
I have also added photos to the following species pages:
- Graphium choredon (Blue Triangle)
- Graphium eurypylus nyctimus (Pale Triangle)
- Papilio canopus (Canopus Swallowtail)
- Cressida cressida (Clearwing Swallowtail)
- Catopsilia pyranthe (White Migrant)
- Catopsilia pomona (Lemon Migrant)
- Catopsilia scylla (Orange Migrant)
- Eurema hecabe (Large Grass-yellow)
- Elodina walkeri (Small Pearl-white)
- Elodina tongura (Pipeclay Pearl-white)
- Appias paulina (Yellow Albatross)
- Delias aestiva (Mangrove Jezebel)
- Tirumala hamata (Blue Tiger)
- Danaus petilia (Lesser Wanderer)
- Danaus affinis (Swamp Tiger)
- Euploea darchia (Small Brown Crow)
- Phalanta phalanta (Spotted Rustic)
- Hypolimnas alimena darwinensis (Blue-banded Eggfly)
- Vanessa itea (Yellow Admiral)
- Junonia orithya (Blue Argus)
- Junonia hedonia (Chocolate Argus)
- Charaxes sempronius (Tailed Emperor)
- Melanitis leda (Evening Brown)
- Heteronympha paradelpha (Spotted Brown)
- Hypocysta metirius (Brown Ringlet)
- Hypocysta adiante antirius (Orange Ringlet)
- Jalmenus ictinus (Stencilled Hairstreak)
- Hypolycaena phorbas (Black-spotted Flash)
- Anthene lycaenoides (Pale Ciliate-blue)
- Candalides urumelia (Spotted Opal)
- Prosotas felderi (Short-tailed Line-blue)
- Catopyrops florinda halys (Speckled Line-blue)
- Catopyrops florinda estrella (Speckled Line-blue)
- Jamides phaseli (Purple Cerulean)
- Catochrysops panormus (Pale Pea-blue)
- Lampides boeticus (Long-tailed Pea-blue)
- Leptotes plinius (Zebra Blue)
- Everes lacturnus (Orange-tipped Pea-blue)
- Hasora chromus (Chrome Awl)
- Trapezites praxedes (Southern Silver Ochre)
- Trapezites symmomus (Splendid Ochre)
- Timoconia tymbophora (Dark Shield-skipper)
- Hesperilla picta (Painted Sedge-skipper)
- Mesodina gracillima (Northern Iris-skipper)
- Parnara amalia (Orange Swift)
- Borbo impar (Yellow Swift)
- Ocybadistes walkeri olivia (Green Grass-dart)
- Suniana sunias sauda (Wide-brand Grass-dart)
- Telicota colon (Pale-orange Darter)
- Telicota augias (Bright-orange Darter)
Contacts page
Whilst working on the November 2023 update I tested out my Contacts page and found that my email form is no longer working. I don’t know why it broke or when it happened, so if you’ve tried contacting me that way and received no reply, please accept my apologies.
I had a go at fixing it but didn’t get it working. In the meantime I’ve replaced the form with links to my Facebook and Instagram, as it should be possible to contact me that way instead.