Regent Skipper
Photo: C & D Frith
Australia's Wet Tropics
Rainforest Life
Regent Skipper (Euschemon rafflesia) - This butterfly belongs to the family Hersperiidae.
- When resting, the adults open their wings almost flat (although this is normally how moths rest).
- Adult Regent Skippers usually fly within the rainforest.
- Females are often seen circling a target plant prior to deciding on which branch to lay her eggs.
- Larvae feed on rainforest understorey shrubs.
- The male regent skipper (found in the Wet Tropics) is the only butterfly to lock its fore and hindwings together during flight - which makes it the most primitive of the world's butterflies. The females, however, are more advanced - as they have lost their frenulums. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
- The frenulum is a distinguishing features of moths, which locks the hind and forewings together in flight.
- This is of special interest to scientists, as this primative function is thought to represent a link between moths and butterflies.
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