Hesperilla chrysotricha (Golden-haired Sedge-skipper)

Other Common Names

Chrysotricha Skipper, Golden-haired Skipper

Notes

This was a butterfly I was very anxious to see. It’s not found anywhere near where I live (Sydney), and I’d totally failed to find it on 3 previous butterfests in Western Australia. It looked as if I was going to miss out again on my 4th visit, but on the last day of the trip, whilst looking for Erina gilesi (which was conspicuous by its absence), a good number of chrysotricha showed up to make my day.

I love my skippers, and fresh examples of this species are particularly fine to see. At Lake Preston they were mainly flying around the fringes of the lake, where their Gahnia foodplant grew amongst the fringe of trees between the lake and the road. Even better, for part of the morning they quit their continual perambulations around the Gahnia and went out to feed on flowers closer to the water’s edge. This was great for me as they were much easier to photograph, though it was a bit windy which made it a bit of a challenge.

All in all these skippers were a great way to wrap up my visit to WA!

Sightings

Lake Preston, WA – November 2025

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