42. 
Skipper Butterflies. 
S A. 
NAT. 3 VOL. XVI. 
July 24, 1935. 
SOME SOUTH AUSTRALIAN 
SKIPPER BUTTERFLIES (Family Hesperidae) 
By M. W. Mules. 
Our South Australian Skippers constitute an interesting 
group of butterflies. They have been somewhat neglected as 
regards systematic collecting, but, indeed, this may be said of 
all our butterflies. Our collectors are very few in South Aus- 
tralia, and it is to be hoped that in the future we will see more 
collecting done here. Several species and races are confined to 
this State, and there may be some interesting discoveries made 
when we work out the life histories of some of the species about 
which, at the present time, little is known. 
Skippers are rather unattractive in coloration, none of the 
species in South Australia being at all brilliant as compared 
with members of some of our other families of butterflies. 
Hesperilla donnysa diluta Waterhouse, 1927. 
This Skipper has been recorded from the Mt. Lofty ranges, 
Goolwa, Ft. Lincoln and Second Valley; one specimen is re- 
corded from Adelaide. The larvae feed on the Sword- 
grass Gahnia psittacorum, which is found in damp gullies 
in the Adelaide Hills, and in the swamps around Second Valley 
and Yankalilla. It is pale green, with a hard light- 
brown head which bears a dark-brown V-shaped mark in front, 
and short dark marks on the side. The larvae form shelters by 
drawing two leaves of the swordgrass together and lining the 
tube with silk; the shelter is open at both ends. It is slightly 
narrower at the bottom than at the top. These shelters are 
made near the tips of the leaves, quite often the leaves are 
eaten off at the top of the shelter. Larvae or pupae may be 
seen without opening the shelter. They commence to pupate 
early in October; pupae are shiny black, occasionally light olive- 
brown; the pupal cap is divided into five sections or raised 
platforms. Butterflies start to emerge early in November. They 
may be found, in most cases, close to the food plant. This 
species rarely wanders far, but is a strong, fast flier. The shel- 
ters are often raided by birds and the pupae taken. About 5 
per cent, of the pupae I have bred have been parasitised by flies. 
Hesperilla iclothea clara Waterhouse, 1932. 
This very fine Skipper is much rarer than H. donnysa , 
and is confined to the Mt. Lofty Ranges. No females were 
known until last year, when I was able to breed several speci- 
mens. The food plant is Gahnia psittacorum. The larvae are 
similar to H. donnysa but are slightly larger and more robust. 
The habits of this species are quite different from II. donnysa in 
that they make their shelters at the base of the leaves and make 
