Barred Skipper

Scientific Name: Dispar compacta

Family of Butterflies: Hesperiidae (skippers)

Other Common Names: Dispar Skipper

Wingspan: 23mm

Local Records: This species is more likely to be found in the wetter southern parts of the region. Tony
Morton recorded this species in a gully along the Chewton – Fryerstown Road on 23/02/2001. Since 2020 there have been around 30 records from the Castlemaine region recorded on iNaturalist.

Distribution outside our region: Most documented Victorian observations of this species are to the east
of an imaginary line between Melbourne and Albury. In the west of the state it occurs mainly in cooler
areas including Macedon Ranges through to the Grampians, the Otways and the wetter forests north of
Portland in the south-west. More widely it is found in the far south-east of South Australia and along the
coast and eastern ranges of New South Wales and southern Queensland. Ref Atlas of Living Australia.

Larval Host Plants: Tussock Grass (Poa spp.), Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides), Saw-Sedge (Gahnia
spp.), Mat Rush (Lomandra spp.)

Larval association with ants: None.

Adult Flight Times in Victoria: January to March (occasionally April). Across the entire range, this
species is most active in February with less than 5% records outside January – March.
Ref iNaturalist.

Other Notes: Probably rare and restricted in the Mount Alexander Shire. The local area appears to be
at the edge of the Barred Skipper’s distribution. It may be more likely to occur during summers that are
cooler than the current average.

References and further reading:
Atlas of Living Australia – Dispar compacta, Barred Skipper
iNaturalist – Dispar compacta, Barred Skipper
Braby, Michael F., Second edition 2016. The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing
Field, Ross P., 2013. Butterflies: Identification and Life History. Museum Victoria