Butterflies of Australia
Australia is home to almost 300 species of butterfly (excluding Hesperiidae), many of which are restricted to the east coast of Australia and particularly the tropical areas of north-eastern Queensland. On this page I present some of the more common species I encountered over the years. All photos were taken by myself, many of them in the Sydney area.
This page is under construction, and many of the butterfly portraits are still incomplete!
Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
Subfamily Papilioninae
Macleay’s Swallowtail
Graphium macleayanus
Blue Triangle
Graphium sarpedon
Orchard Swallowtail
Papilio aegeus
Ulysses Swallowtail
Papilio ulysses
Cairns Birdwing
Ornithoptera euphorion
Whites (Pieridae)
Subfamily Pierinae
Black Jezebel
Delias nigrina
Red-banded Jezebel
Delias mysis
Wood White
Delias aganippe
Yellow Albatross
Appias paulina
Caper White
Belenois java
Southern Pearl White
Elodina angulipennis
Cabbage White
Pieris rapae
Subfamily Coliadinae
Lemon Migrant
Catopsilia pomona
Small Grass Yellow
Eurema smilax
Large Grass Yellow
Eurema hecabe
Blues (Lycaenidae)
Subfamily Theclinae
Fiery Copper
Paralucia pyrodiscus
Bright Copper
Paralucia aurifer
Purple Copper
Paralucia spinifera
Turquoise Jewel
Hypochrysops halyaetus
Bright Oak Blue
Arhopala madytus
Satin Azure
Ogyris amaryllis
Small Bronze Azure
Ogyris otanes
Imperial Hairstreak
Jalmenus evagoras
Varied Hairstreak
Jalmenus inous
Bright Cornelian
Deudorix diovis
Subfamily Polyommatinae
Common Pencil Blue
Candalides absimilis
Varied Dusky Blue
Candalides hyacinthina
Blotched Dusky Blue
Candalides acasta
Yellow-spotted Blue
Candalides xanthospilos
Rayed Blue
Candalides heathi
Dark Ciliate Blue
Anthene seltuttus
Large Green-banded Blue
Danis danis
Green-banded Line Blue
Nacaduba cyanea
Two-spotted Line Blue
Nacaduba biocellata
Short-tailed Line Blue
Prosotas felderi
Bronze Line Blue
Ionolyce helicon
Speckled Line Blue
Catopyrops florinda
Glistening Line Blue
Sahulana scintillata
Fringed Heath Blue
Neolucia agricola
Wattle Blue
Theclinesthes miskini
Saltbush Blue
Theclinesthes serpentata
Samphire Blue
Theclinesthes sulpitius
Plumbago Blue
Leptotes plinius
Long-tailed Pea Blue
Lampides boeticus
Common Grass Blue
Zizina labradus
Nymphs (Nymphalidae)
Subfamily Nymphalinae
Varied Eggfly
Hypolimnas bolina
Lurcher
Yoma sabina
Meadow Argus
Junonia villida
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Australian Painted Lady
Vanessa kershawi
Yellow Admiral
Vanessa itea
Subfamily Heliconiinae
Red Lacewing
Cethosia cydippe
Orange Lacewing
Cethosia penthesilea
Cruiser
Vindula arsinoe
Glasswing
Acraea andromacha
Subfamily Danainae
Hamadryad
Tellervo zoilus
Common Crow
Euploea core
Lesser Wanderer
Danaus chrysippus
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
Satyrs (Satyridae)
Subfamily Satyrinae
Dusky Knight
Ypthima arctous
Brown Ringlet
Hypocysta metirius
Grey Ringlet
Hypocysta pseudirius
Orange Ringlet
Hypocysta adiante
Rock Ringlet
Hypocysta euphemia
Varied Sword-grass Brown
Tisiphone abeona
Ringed Xenica
Geitoneura acantha
Marbled Xenica
Geitoneura klugii
Western Xenica
Geitoneura minyas
Forest Brown
Argynnina cyrila
Wonder Brown
Heteronympha mirifica
Common Brown
Heteronympha merope
Shouldered Brown
Heteronympha penelope
Spotted Brown
Heteronympha paradelpha
Banks’ Brown
Heteronympha banksii
Subfamily Elymniinae
Orange Bush Brown
Mycalesis terminus