Endangered Australian Butterfly
Purple Copper Butterfly or Bathurst Copper Butterfly - Paralucia spinifera
It's that time of year again... These beauties are once again making an appearance. They are one of Australia's rarest butterflies.
If you live in the Central Tablelands, keep an eye out for them and please record sightings on iNaturalist to help scientists keep tabs on this endangered species.
They are tiny (approx 2cm from wing to wing) and their wings shimmer rainbow colours in the sun.
They are a really interesting species. They only eat a specific plant (ursaria spinosa subspecies lasiophylla), and in the caterpillar stage, ants protect them in exchange for a secretion from the caterpillars that the ants like.
Here is more information on them:
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/nati...
Endangered Australian Butterfly
Purple Copper Butterfly or Bathurst Copper Butterfly - Paralucia spinifera
It's that time of year again... These beauties are once again making an appearance. They are one of Australia's rarest butterflies.
If you live in the Central Tablelands, keep an eye out for them and please record sightings on iNaturalist to help scientists keep tabs on this endangered species.
They are tiny (approx 2cm from wing to wing) and their wings shimmer rainbow colours in the sun.
They are a really interesting species. They only eat a specific plant (ursaria spinosa subspecies lasiophylla), and in the caterpillar stage, ants protect them in exchange for a secretion from the caterpillars that the ants like.
Here is more information on them:
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/nati...