Oreixenica orichora

Oreixenica orichora (Meyrick, 1885)
(previously known as : Xenica orichora)
Spotted Alpine Xenica
SATYRINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

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

Oreixenica orichora
female
(photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

These Caterpillars are initially green with a hairy brown head. Later instars are green with indistinct dark longitudinal lines and white dots. They have a green head and a forked tail. The Caterpillars feed on various species of Grass ( POACEAE ), including :

Horny snow grass ( Poa fawcettiae ), and

Soft Snow Grass ( Poa hiemata ).

The pupa is mottled brown, and is formed upright in the soil surface debris. It has a projection on each side of the head.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The wings of the adult butterflies are brown on top with yellow patches, and each wing also has an eyespot. Underneath, the wings are similar but paler, and the hind wings each have two eyespots. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

The eggs are laid while the female is flying over a clump of a foodplant. They are pale green and spherical.

The species is found as two sub-species:

orichora in the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria, and

paludosa in the mountains of Tasmania.