CFNC member Tony Morton has been a butterfly enthusiast (lepidoptorist) for most of his life. Over the past 10 or so years, he has extensively documented the butterfly fauna in and around his home in Vaughn, and elsewhere throughout the local area. Tony has prepared the attached downloadable document which contains comprehensive information on butterfly identification, behaviour, ecology, distribution and life cycle (click here).
He has also provided the club with a list of species that he has observed in the local area, and many photos of these species from his collection. He has documented 41 butterfly species from the Mount Alexander Shire, which is about one third of all species known to occur across Victoria. These are listed below with links to photos of the butterflies (with the preferred food plant of the larvae) and other relevant information. To obtain a downloadable copy of this list of local butterflies, follow this link here (coming soon!).
| Common Name | Latin Name | MORE INFO |
| Family Hesperiidae | ||
| Barred Skipper | Dispar compacta | yes |
| Varied Sedge-skipper | Hesperilla donnysa | yes |
| Green Grass-dart | Ocybadistes walkeri | yes |
| White-banded Grass-dart | Taractrocera papyria | yes |
| Yellow Ochre | Trapezites lutea | yes |
| Heath Ochre | Trapezites phigalia | yes |
| Montane Ochre | Trapezites phigalioides | yes |
| Family Lycaenidae | ||
| Rayed Blue | Candalides heathi | yes |
| Varied Dusky-blue | Candalides hyacinthina | yes |
| Moonlight Jewel | Hypochrysops delicia | yes |
| Imperial Hairstreak | Jalmenus evagoras | yes |
| Amethyst Hairstreak | Jalmenus icilius | yes |
| Long-tailed Pea-blue | Lampides boeticus | yes |
| Grassland Copper | Lucia limbaria | yes |
| Two-spotted Line-blue | Nacaduba biocellata | yes |
| Fringed Heath-blue | Neolucia agricola | yes |
| Satin Azure | Ogyris amaryllis | yes |
| Dull-purple Azure | Ogyris olane | yes |
| Eltham Copper | Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida | yes |
| Salt-bush Blue | Theclinesthes serpentata | yes |
| Common Grass-blue | Zizina labradus | yes |
| Family Nymphalidae | ||
| Lesser Wanderer | Danaus chrysipippus petilia | yes |
| Monarch, Wanderer | Danaus plexippus | yes |
| Common Crow | Euploea core corinna | yes |
| Ringed Xenica | Geitoneura acantha | yes |
| Marbled Xenica | Geitoneura klugii | yes |
| Common Brown | Heteronympha merope | yes |
| Shouldered Brown | Heteronympha penelope | yes |
| Meadow Argus | Junonia villida | yes |
| Tailed Emperor | Polyura sempronius | yes |
| Yellow Admiral | Vanessa itea | yes |
| Australian Painted Lady | Vanessa kershawi | yes |
| Family Papilionidae | ||
| Orchard Swallowtail | Papilio aegeus | |
| Dingy Swallowtail | Papilio anactus | |
| Chequered Swallowtail | Papilio demoleus | |
| Family Pieridae | ||
| Caper White | Belenois java | |
| Red-spotted Jezebel | Delias aganippe | |
| Imperial Jezebel | Delias harpalyce | |
| Small Grass-yellow | Eurema smilax | |
| ** Cabbage White | Pieris rapae |
