Butterflies of Australia
Complete Set of 5 nos of special postage stamp on the Australian Butterflies :
Issued by Australia
Issued on Sep 3, 1998
Design : The stamps feature the Common Red–eye (Chaetocneme beata), found in coastal eastern Australia from Cairns in Queensland to Wollongong in NSW; the brilliant Ulysses Butterfly (Papilio ulysses joesa), seen in north-eastern Queensland, from Cape York to the vicinity of the Atherton Tablelands; the Meadow Argus (Junonia villida calybe) which occurs throughout Australia; a shining purple butterfly, the Dull Oakblue (Arhopala centaurus centaurus), seen near mangroves or around rainforest trees in coastal Northern Territory and Queensland; and the Red Lacewing (Cethosia cydippe chrysippe), found in north-eastern Queensland, from Cape York to Townsville.
Designer : Chris Shurey, Melbourne
Stamp photographs by ANT Photo Library :
Red Lacewing (G Wood); Ulysses Butterfly (Otto Rogge); Dull Oak Blue, Meadow Argus and Common Red-eye (Frithfoto).
Type : Stamps, Postal Used
Colour : Multi colour
Denomination : 45 cents each
About :
- More than three quarters of Australian butterfly species occur in the tropical north and north-east of the continent, where abundant rainforest provides host plants and habitats for many species. Some 400 species of butterflies have been recorded in Australia.
- Butterflies do not live long, sometimes only a few days or weeks. They have many natural enemies and form an important part of many food chains. The life cycle of a butterfly incorporates four separate stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. This type of life cycle involves a total body transformation, a process known as complete metamorphosis. A tiny caterpillar hatches from the egg. As it grows, it moults several times before pupating. During pupation, the caterpillar’s body is reorganised and transformed into a butterfly. After the butterfly emerges, mating takes place and the life cycle is completed when fertilised eggs are laid. The entire period from egg to adult varies considerably and can range from just a few weeks up to two years.
