Varied Sedge-skipper (female) upperside
Photo: Euan Moore
Varied Sedge-skipper (female) underside
Photo: Euan Moore
Scientific Name: Hesperilla donnysa subsp. donnysa
Family of Butterflies: Hesperiidae (skippers)
Other Common Names: Donnysa Skipper
Wingspan: 31mm – 36mm
Museum specimens. Photo: Tony Morton
Note 1: The male is shown on the top row and the female on the bottom row. The upper side of the butterfly wings is shown on the left and the underside on the right.
Note 2: The plant name (bottom right) refers to the plants upon which the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed.
Local Records: There are few records of this species in the Mount Alexander Region in the various fauna databases. iNaturalist has a record from Lyonville in 2017, while Atlas of Living Australia has additional records from Bendigo and near Fryerstown. This latter record is based on an undated specimen in the Northern Territory Museum. Tony Morton recorded this species on a number of occasions in the Chewton– Fryerstown – Glenluce area.
| Tony Morton’s records of Varied Sedge-Skipper from the local area (between 2000 to 2013) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Notes |
| 1-Nov-2011 | Green Gully Rd Glenluce | Larvae |
| 28-Oct-2008 | Chewton area | PL Wattle Gully mine Swordgrass gully. Pupa emerged 5 Nov. |
| 17-Oct-2005 | Swordgrass gully, Chewton | Pupa |
| 15-Dec-2002 | Green Gully Road, Glenluce | All stages |
| 23-Feb-2001 | Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road | Worn |
| 9-Dec-2000 | Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road | Males worn, females quite fresh |
| 28-Nov-2000 | 300m. off Glenluce Rd. down Green Gully Rd. | Mainly males |
| 14-Nov-2000 | Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road | – |
| 12-Oct-2000 | Gully, Chewton/Fryerstown Road | Larvae |
Distribution outside our region: Most Victorian records are from the south of the state, particularly east of Melbourne and the Anglesea area with a scattering of records along the Great Dividing Range west to the Grampians. This species is also recorded from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, eastern NSW and Queensland to as far north as Brisbane. Field 2013, Atlas of Living Australia.
Larval Host Plants: Thatch Saw-sedge (Gahnia radula), and some other Saw-sedge (Gahnia) species.
Larval association with ants: None
Adult Flight Times in Victoria: Mostly November and December, but documented observations from October to March. iNaturalist. Field 2013
Conservation Status:
- The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: Vulnerable in Australia
Other Notes: Maybe be moderately common in Mount Alexander Shire, particularly along creeks and gullies where Saw-sedge occurs. Mount Alexander Shire is near the northern edge of its distribution.
References and further reading:
Atlas of Living Australia – Hesperilla donnysa, Varied Sedge-Skipper.
INaturalist – Hesperilla donnysa, Varied Sedge-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.