Bright Shield-skipper, Timoconia flammeata showing underside of wings.
Photo: Lynda Wilson/iNaturalist
Scientific Name: Timoconia flammeata
Family of Butterflies: Hesperiidae (skippers)
Other Common Names: Shield-skipper
Wingspan: 30mm, males and females are similar size.
Local Records: There are about twenty records of this species on iNaturalist and on Atlas of Living Australia. Most are from near Lyonville in the south of our region, extending north to Drummond.
Distribution outside our region: Most Victorian records are from southern areas of the
state where the climate is cooler and wetter. Outside Victoria, this species has been recorded from near Mt Gambia in South Australia, eastern NSW and the far south-east of Queensland. There are relatively few records on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range.
Larval Host Plants: Slender tussock, Poa tenera, and Wiregrass, Tetrarrhena juncea and possibly other grasses.
Larval association with ants: None.
Adult Flight Times in Victoria: July to March.
Conservation Status:
- The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: Vulnerable in Australia
Other Notes: Males hilltop and establish territories by perching on trees up to 9m above the ground.
References:
Atlas of Living Australia – Timoconia flammeata, Bright Shield-skipper
iNaturalist – Timoconia flammeata, Bright Shield-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