Category Archives: Butterflies

Butterflies

Where’d than butterfly go …

Stalking Butterflies
Stalking butterflies on the buddleia, blackberry can wait!

Yesterday was a good day to rip up some blackberry. So off I went with long green leather gloves, long sleeve shirt and hat, with the pick, long handled pruners and secateurs in my garden trolley. No sooner had I stopped the trolley when two unusual butterflies tumbled through the air and landed on the buddleia in front of me. Never having seen this species before I stared, entranced, when a large black butterfly with blue flashes of iridescence spiraled around to also land in the buddleia. And me with no camera!!!

Ok, back to the house, collect camera and go stalking butterflies!

Stalking Butterflies
Stalking Butterflies - where's that butterfly gone this time?

The blackberry did get cut back and mostly pulled out, and it did give me a valid reason to be down by “the Park” *and* get some work done at the same time. What blackberry is left is a good reason to re-visit “the Park” next weekend. This time I won’t forget the camera.

The unfamiliar butterflies turned out to be a pair of Glasswings and male Common Eggfly.

Butterflies

Glasswing Butterlfy

Glasswing Butterfly
Glasswing Butterfly – 20th March, 2011.

These dainty butterflies are about half the size of the Dainty or Dingy Swallowtail. The upper wing is almost transparent, with only the back markings and a light dusting of white.

They have constantly returned to the buddleia to feed during the last two days, and may have been visiting it far longer.

This was the first of their species I have seen outside books and web sites. Another exciting discovery, at least for me.

Postscript: later in the season I saw a few Glasswing Butterflies frequenting the banana passionfruit. Apparently they can use this as a larvae food plant. Hopefully that means more Glasswings in the future!

 

Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers
Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers. The top wing is almost transparent.
Glasswing Butterflies on buddleia flowers
Glasswing Butterflies on buddleia flowers. These two travelled together.
Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers
Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers, inside wings.
Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers
Glasswing Butterfly on buddleia flowers, outside wings.
Butterflies

Common Eggfly Butterfly

Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly Butterfly – 20th March, 2011.

Common Eggfly Butterfly

This was a rare treat! I’ve only ever seen these in Butterflyhouses, books or web sites. It was delightful to see one attracted to the buddleia down under the eucalypts on our own property.

The iridescent blue patches on the wings are only visible from certain angles, and can be difficult to photograph. This is a male Common Eggfly. A rather drab name for a very striking and uncommon butterfly.

 

Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly butterfly. The blue-purple irridescent patches on the wings can only be seen from certain angles and can be challenging to photograph.
Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly butterfly. From this angle the brilliant blue patches seem to disappear. Compare this to the first image to the left.
Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly butterfly on a eucalypt branch. The outer wings are strikingly marked but give no hint of the brilliance inside.
Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly butterfly. From this angle more irridescent colours can be seen on the inner corner of the right hind wing (click to enlarge).
Common Eggfly butterfly
Common Eggfly butterfly basking in the warmth of last evening sunlight.