Lesser Wanderer, upper surface.
Photo: Euan Moore
Lesser Wanderer, lower surface.
Photo: Euan Moore
Scientific Name: Danaus petilia
Other Common Names: None
Family of Butterflies: Nymphalidae (Browns and Nymphs)
Wingspan: 60mm
Museum specimens.
Photo: Tony Morton.
Note 1: The upper side of the butterfly wings are shown on the left and the underside side of the butterfly wings are shown on the right. Males and females are similar.
Note 2: The plant name on the bottom right refers to the plants upon which the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed.
Note 3 Danuas chrysippus is a prior name for this species which is used in some literature
Local observations: There is a Museums Victoria record from Castlemaine on Atlas of Living Australia and a recent record from Harcourt North on iNaturalist. It has probably been under-reported in our region.
| Tony Morton’s documented records of Lesser Wanderer from the local area (between 2000 to 2013) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Notes |
| 15-Jan-2011 | Bot Gardens, off Froomes Road, C’maine | |
| 6-Jan-2011 | Vaughan garden | female laying |
| 10-Dec-2010 | Vaughan garden | Laying on Asclaepias, larvae die at third instar. Foodplant or a day of 40 degree heat? |
Distribution outside our region: There are a number of records from Melbourne and Geelong and a
scattering of records across the north and north-west of Victoria on Atlas of Living Australia. There is a
similar pattern of records on iNaturalist. This species has been recorded from all Australian states.
Larval Host Plants: The introduced Swan Plant (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) and Broad-leafed Cotton
bush (G. cancellatus). Native Asclepidaceae. These plants don’t occur naturally in Mt Alexander Shire, but may be found in some parks and gardens.
Larval association with ants: None.
Adult Flight Times in Victoria: Adults have been recorded throughout the year in Victoria, but never common (compared to northern Australia). Seen in north of state in most years. Probably not a permanent breeding population in Victoria, but some successful breeding does occur on cultivated plants. Most commonly observed between November to April.
Conservation Status:
- The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: No Conservation Significance
Other Notes: Large, bright larvae feed openly on cotton bush plants.
This butterfly had previously been regarded as a sub-species of Danaus chrysippus but it was elevated to full species status in 2015. Danaus petilia is endemic to Australia while D. chrysippus is found in Africa and southern Asia. D. chrysippus may sometimes occur in far northern Australia.
References and further reading:
Atlas of Living Australia – Danaus petilla, Lesser Wanderer
iNaturalist – Danaus petilia, Lesser Wanderer
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.