Australia has 18 species of Hypochrysops butterflies, commonly known as Jewels, all of which rank somewhere between Very Pretty and Holy Shit That’s Stunning! on the attractiveness scale. The Moonlight Jewel (Hypochrysops delicia) is at the latter end of that scale, and whilst not an easy species to photograph it is most definitely worth expending some …
The wonderful Montane Iris-skipper (Mesodina aeluropis) is the largest and most colourful of the 5 Mesodina skipper species, all of which are endemic to Australia. It’s a butterfly you need to make some effort to find as it’s only found in a few small subalpine areas of the Great Dividing Range. The map on the …
The Bright Copper (Paralucia aurifera) is a common and very colourful butterfly, yet it is so easily overlooked that I doubt many Australians who venture into bushland areas have even noticed it. Bright Coppers are to be found in bushland where its thorny foodplant Bursaria spinosa grows; Cumberland Plain Woodland is ideal habitat. This type …
The Chequered Sedge-skipper (Hesperilla mastersi) is one of around 125 Australian species belonging to the family Hesperiidae (Skippers and Darts). Most Skippers are small, brown and often difficult to distinguish, making them the butterfly equivalent of the birdwatchers’ “Little Brown Jobs”. Many members of the public completely overlook them, or mistake them for moths, and …
There’s just something irresistible about Ant-blues in general, and the Golden Ant-blue (Acrodipsas aurata) in particular. They are small butterflies and even I could hardly describe them as spectacular, yet every time I see one I find myself snapping away with my camera. I’m by no means the only butterflyer to have fallen under their …
