Chaostola Skipper Larval shelter. Photo: Kristi Elligsen 
But there are problems. Phil warned us that the more 
common Donnysa skipper Hesperilla donnysa also makes 
shelters in thatch saw-sedge; but their shelters are open 
at the top, not the bottom. And dodderlaurel (Cassytha 
species) can also wrap around saw-sedge plants, 
producing a similar bundled appearance. The task began 
to sound like a needle-in-a-haystack quest. 
Having primed us with pictures and tips, Phil led us into 
the black peppermint Eucalyptus amygdalina woodland 
with an understorey of heath plants, sedges and grasses. 
The area's vegetation, burned nine years ago, had 
regenerated to 30-50 cm tall. Amongst the flowering 
white and pink beard-heaths Leucopogon collinus and L. 
ericoides, slender rice-flower Pimelea linifolia and showy 
bossia Bossiaea cinerea were scattered plants and 
stands of thatch saw-sedge, and we began to search. 
a 
/ 
Bossiaea cinerea (Showy Bossia). Photo: James Wood 
Phil soon found a Chaostola Skipper caterpillar's shelter 
(about 25mm long and 5mm wide) and we crowded in 
to admire it before spreading out to find them for 
ourselves. 
Leucopogon collinus (White Beardheath). 
Photo: James Wood 
Searching for Chaostola Skipper caterpillar's shelters. 
Photo: Michael Driessen 
And to our surprise we did start to find them. Not many; 
about a dozen (including shelters with larvae and one 
with a pupa) in an hour's searching. But by Chaostola 
Skipper standards that is a very successful haul. 
Chaostola skipper pupa. Photo: Amanda Thomson 
Phil had confirmed the species' persistence in the 
reserve, and we had learned a new field skill and gained 
admiration for the knowledge and work of the 
Endangered Species Section of DPIPWE. 
Now that we have the search image, bent bits of thatch 
saw-sedge will never look the same again! 
Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club 
Page 7 
BULLETIN 348 Oct 2012 
