A colourful Australian. The Australian form of the Great Eggfly differs from the Asian forms by its large orange blotch on the forewing. This species is one of the widest-ranging butterflies in the world. The caterpillars have an extraordinary broad diet, feeding on many different types of plants from stinging nettles to mallows and bindweed. This is probably one of the reasons why the species is so wide-ranging.

Name: Great Eggfly or Diadem

Latin: Hypolimnas bolina

Family: Nymphalidae

Origin: Queensland

Food plant: Bindweed Family

thumbnail diadem female
thumbnail Diadem male