Chaetocneme beata

Chaetocneme beata (Hewitson, 1867)
Common Red-Eye
PYRGINAE , HESPERIIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Peter R. Samson & Stella Crossley

Chaetocneme beata
(Photo: courtesy of Mark Hopkinson, collected in Cairns)

The Caterpillars are green and covered in pale dots. The head is large, brown or yellowish, and divided into two by a dark vertial line.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

The caterpillarslive in leafy shelters by day. Initially these are constructed from a cut piece of leaf folded over to make a triangular pocket. Later instars join two leaves together with silk. The Caterpillars feed nocturnally on various trees, including :

Custard Apple ( Annona reticulata, ANNONACEAE ),

Queensland Cascarilla ( Croton insularis, EUPHORBIACEAE ),

Bolwarra ( Eupomatia laurina, EUPOMATIACEAE ),

Camphor Laurel ( Cinnamomum camphora, LAURACEAE ),

Hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, MALVACEAE ), and

Brush Box ( Lophostemon confertus, MYRTACEAE ).

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

The pupa is green or brown with a white mark on each side outlined in black with brown markings at one end. it is typically formed in a curled leaf.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

The adult butterflies are brown, with an irregular or broken white stripe across each forewing containing a brown dot. The hindwings may have two or three white dots on each one. The wingspan of the adults is about 5 cms.

(Photo copyright: Peter Samson)

The eggs of this species are spherical and ribbed and laid singly on a leaf of a foodplant.

This species occurs in edges of the upland rainforest along the coast of

Queensland, and

New South Wales.

( Australia Post, 1998)