Varied Eggfly Butterfly

Identification
The male Varied Eggfly butterfly is black above with a large blue edged white spot on each wing and a smaller white mark in the outer corner of the forewings. The female butterfly has several different colour forms. The basic female upper wing pattern is black with a large pale patch in the centre of each hindwing, a white bar of the forewings and a large yellow or orange patch near the trailing edge of each forewing.

Size
wingspan: males 76mm, females 86mm

Habitat
wide variety of habitats from rainforest to semi arid and arid regions

Food
larvae feed on a variety of plants including Alternanthera denticulata, Synedrella nodiflora, Sida rhombifolia

Range
breeds in coastal areas of Queensland and Northern Territory, but disperses across much of eastern mainland Australia
Read less