Cephrenes trichopepla
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Palm Dart is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in Australia
(the south-eastern coast of New South Wales
, the northern Gulf and northern coast of the Northern Territory
, the northern Gulf and northern coast of Queensland
and the northern coast of Western Australia
), Papua and Papua New Guinea
. It has recently been recorded from Singapore
.
The wingspan
is about 40 mm.
The larvae feed on a wide range of palm species and it is considered a pest of coconut
palm. During the day it lives in a tubular shelter made from joining palm fronds together with silk. Pupation takes place within this shelter.
Recorded foodplants include Archontophoenix alexandrae
, Wodyetia bifurcata, Ptychosperma elegans
, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
, Livistona australis
, Livistona benthamii
, Livistona nitida, Livistona muelleri, Livistona mariae
, Livistona drudei
and Livistona decipiens
.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(the south-eastern coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the northern Gulf and northern coast of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, the northern Gulf and northern coast of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and the northern coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
), Papua and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It has recently been recorded from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 40 mm.
The larvae feed on a wide range of palm species and it is considered a pest of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palm. During the day it lives in a tubular shelter made from joining palm fronds together with silk. Pupation takes place within this shelter.
Recorded foodplants include Archontophoenix alexandrae
Archontophoenix alexandrae
Archontophoenix alexandrae is a palm native to Queensland, Australia....
, Wodyetia bifurcata, Ptychosperma elegans
Ptychosperma elegans
Ptychosperma elegans, also known as the "Solitaire palm" and the "Alexander palm," is a very slender palm common to Florida but native to Australia. It is sometimes confused with Archontophoenix alexandrae which is a much larger palm but appears similar in the immature form...
, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, the Bangalow Palm or King Palm, is an Australian palm. It can grow up to and over 20 metres tall. Its flower colour is violet and the red fruits are attractive to birds. It flowers in mid-summer and has evergreen foliage...
, Livistona australis
Livistona australis
The Cabbage-tree Palm is in the Arecaceae family. It is a tall, slender palm growing up to about 25 m in height and 0.35 m diameter. It is crowned with dark, glossy green leaves on petioles 2 m long. It has leaves plaited like a fan; the cabbage of these is small but sweet...
, Livistona benthamii
Livistona benthamii
Livistona benthamii is a species of palm. This species is natural distribution is from Cape York to the Archer River in Queensland, the Northern Territory and New Guinea. A solitary plam found in open forest near areas that are annually inundated. An example may be seen on the Freshwater lake Walk...
, Livistona nitida, Livistona muelleri, Livistona mariae
Livistona mariae
The Central Australian Cabbage Palm is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Australia with the best-known occurrence found in Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park, Northern Territory...
, Livistona drudei
Livistona drudei
Livistona drudei is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Australia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Dowl, J.L. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
and Livistona decipiens
Livistona decipiens
Livistona decipiens is a species of palm native to the sclerophyll woodlands of Queensland, Australia. The species is now widely cultivated in arid regions worldwide as a decorative plant....
.