Greenish Grass-dart

Scientific Name: Ocybadistes walkeri subsp. sothis

Family of Butterflies: Hesperiidae (skippers)

Other Common Names:  Green Grass-dart, Yellow-banded Dart, Southern Dart

Wingspan: 20mm – males and females are similar size.

Local Records: There are a number of recent records (2020 onwards) from Castlemaine, Guildford, Harcourt and Malmsbury on iNaturalist and on Atlas of Living Australia.

Tony Morton’s records of Greenish Grass-dart from the local area (between 2000 to 2013)
Date	Location	Notes
9-Dec-2000	Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road	1 fresh male
23-Feb-2001	Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road

Distribution outside our region: This species was first recorded in Victoria in 1963 (Field 2013) and has since spread across much of the state although most Victorian records are from around Melbourne and south Gippsland. Nationally, its range extends east from Adelaide across the south, including Tasmania, and as far north as Cooktown.

Larval Host Plants:  Locally, could use Flax Lilies (Dianella spp.), native Couch Grass (Cynodon dactylon) or introduced Brome grasses (Bromus spp.) and Veldt grasses (Ehrharta spp.).

Larval Association with Ants: None

Adult Flight Times in Victoria (from Field 2013): There are two generations each year.  The two peaks in observations of adults occur during November to December, and from February to April when most observations have been recorded on iNaturalist

Conservation Status:

• The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: No Conservation Significance

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Not listed

• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, Threatened List: Not Listed

Other Notes:  Its expansion into and across Victoria is believed to be due to its adaptation to introduced grasses (Brome and Veldt), and possibly due to the instant turf industry (Field 2013).  Tony Morton regarded this species as relatively uncommon in the Mount Alexander Shire in 2015, however there have been recorded sightings each year since 2019.

References and further reading:

Atlas of Living Australia – Ocybadistes walkeri : Green Grass-Dart
iNaturalist – Ocybadistes walkeri (Yellow-banded Dart) · iNaturalist Australia (ala.org.au)
Braby, M. F. (2016) The Complete Field Guide to the Butterflies of Australia, 2^nd Edition.  CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Field, R.P. (2013) Butterflies: Identification and Life History.  Museum Victoria Publishing, Melbourne.