''Anisynta dominula'', the two-brand grass-skipper or dominula skipper, is a species of
butterfly in the family
Hesperiidae
Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...
. It is found in Australia in the mountains of
New South Wales,
Tasmania and
Victoria.
The larvae feed on ''
Poa sieberana''. The caterpillar is a dark green colour with a darker dorsal line and a black head. The caterpillar forms a shelter by joining several grass stems together with silk in the middle of a tussock where it lies and pupates.
The adult butterflies are dark brown in colour and identified by several white spots on each forewing, but the hindwings have arcs of white spots. Another identifying feature is the presence of chequered termen to both surfaces each wing, which is broader in the females. The males are differentiated from the females as they have a sex brand on the upper forewing surfaces consisting of a short diagonal black line. The
wing span is about 3 cm.
Subspecies
*''Anisynta dominula dominula''
*''Anisynta dominula drachmophora''
*''Anisynta dominula draco''
*''Anisynta dominula dyris''
*''Anisynta dominula pria''
External links
Australian Caterpillars
Trapezitinae
Butterflies described in 1884
Butterflies of Australia
{{Hesperiidae-stub