Australian Lurcher Butterfly
SPECIES Australian Lurcher Butterfly
TAXONOMY Yoma sabina
STATUS Not Listed
The Australian Lurcher Butterfly can be viewed throughout the year in tropical rainforest lowlands throughout the Northern Territory, Far North Queensland, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. It prefers vine thickets near creeks or moist areas. Although non toxic, it protects itself from predators by mimicking other poisonous butterflies through its broad yellow orange stripe that extends across both upper and lower wings. Their colouring is generally from a medium to a very dark brown, with the underside of the wings in a lighter shade. The female has a white mark in the black tip of each forewing, a wingspan of 7 cm, and is slightly larger than the male. The male has a yellow mark in the same forewing.
Primary Larva Food Source
Ruellia (Ruellia tuberosa)
Caterpillar
Black with a dashed orange and white line along each side.
Covered in black, branched hairs.
Found resting underneath leaves when not feeding.
Chrysalis
Suspended from a cremaster, 2 cm in length.
Brown, spiky, and with three white spots on each side.
Threats
Living up to 9 weeks in the wild, the butterflies can be found feeding from small, herbaceous flowering plants. The Australian Lurcher is one of the species openly advertised and bred for the purpose of release during special events such as weddings as an ‘eco-friendly’ experience alternative. The argument over this practice is the possibility of damage to local ecological systems by the possibility of the introduction of a species outside of its natural habitat.
Updated 5 May 2021