Hypolimnas bolina (Common Eggfly)

Other Common Names

Varied Eggfly, Blue Moon

Notes

The first one of these I photographed was actually the first butterfly I “caught” with a digital camera. I saw him fluttering around my swimming pool, so I grabbed the camera and took a couple of shots.  If I’d known at the time that I was going to undertake this project I would have taken more photos, especially as he showed no sign of being bothered by my presence.

The second specimen I found, a female, was similarly happy to pose for photos. She was a bit restless at first, and took flight several times as I approached. But once she found a comfortable spot she just sat there and posed while I took dozens of shots.

The third one I spotted was in the Royal Botanical Gardens, in May 2004. The other two I’d seen were worn specimens, especially the male in February, but the male I spotted in May looked to be in perfect condition. I think he proves that this species was breeding around Sydney in Summer/Autumn 2004. This guy had not migrated, he looked newly hatched.

That must have been a good season for bolina around Sydney, as I haven’t seen many of them around here since then and wasn’t able to photograph one until May 2019 at Mount Annan.  Further north it’s a different matter. At times they can be extremely abundant around Cairns.

Sightings

Ingleburn – February 2004
Waverton Park, near North Sydney – May 2004
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney – May, December 2004
Cairns – always!
Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary – October 2005
Darwin – April 2018
Mount Annan Botanic Gardens – May 2019

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