Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura klugii) Wingspan - ~40mm Photo: Tony Morton Note 1: Both are female. The upper side of the butterfly wings are shown on the left and the underside side of the butterfly wings are shown on the right. Males and females are similar, but females are paler above. Note 2: The plant name on the bottom right refers to the plants upon which the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed. Other Common Names: Klug’s Xenica Family of Butterflies: Nymphalidae (Browns and Nymphs) Tony Morton’s documented records of Marbled Xenica from the local area (between 2000 to 2013): Six Date Location Notes 29-Feb-2000 Vaughan walk 10-Jan-2001 Rotunda & Ridge, Kalimna Park 16-Jan-2001 Green Gully Rd. walk 19-Dec-2005 Kalimna Park 1 Butterflies of the Mount Alexander Shire – A Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club publication Date Location Notes 15-Jan-2011 Bot Gardens, off Froomes Road, C'maine 1-Jan-2013 Kalimna Park fresh, several Other documented local observations: None Distribution Across Victoria (from Field 2013): Found across most of southern and central Victoria. Larval Host Plants (Field 2013): Native grasses such as Wallaby Grass (Austrodanthonia spp.), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) and some tussock grasses (Poa spp.). Introduced grasses such as Annual Veldt Grass (Erhardta longiflora) and Fescue (Vulpia spp.). Larval association with ants (Field 2013): None. Adult Flight Times in Victoria (from Field 2013): Adults have been recorded from October to April, and most commonly from December to February. One generation per year. Conservation Status: National Butterfly Action Plan (2002): No conservation status Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Not listed Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Not listed Advisory List of Threatened Victorian Invertebrates (DSE 2009): Not listed Other Notes: Mount Alexander Shire is near the northern/inland extent of its distribution in Victoria. Known to hilltop. Males will defend their areas against other males. Occurs in a variety of woodland and forest habitats that have an adequate grassy understorey. References and further reading: Braby, M. F. (2004) The Complete Field Guide to the Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (2009) Advisory List of Threatened Invertebrate Fauna in Victoria – 2009. Department of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne, Victoria (http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/threatened-species-and- communities/threatened-species-advisory-lists) Field, R.P. (2013) Butterflies: Identification and Life History. Museum Victoria Publishing, Melbourne. Sands, D.P.A. and New, T.R. (2002) The Action Plan for Australian Butterflies. Environment Australia, Canberra (http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/action-plan-australian-butterflies) 2 Butterflies of the Mount Alexander Shire – A Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club publication Museum of Victoria Bioinformatics – Australian Butterflies: The Victorian Fauna http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/butter/ 3 Butterflies of the Mount Alexander Shire – A Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club publication .