SPECIES: Argynnis hyperbius inconstans — Australian Fritillary
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
Once a familiar flash of orange along the coastal swamps and dunes of south-east Queensland, the Australian Fritillary has become one of Australia’s most enigmatic butterflies – and possibly its rarest. Females lay their eggs only on native violets that thrive in damp coastal grasslands, a habitat now mostly lost to development. For decades, only fleeting, uncertain sightings have kept hope alive that this delicate species still flutters somewhere among the remaining coastal lowlands.
With its future hanging by a thread, the Fritillary’s story highlights how fragile insect ecosystems can be. Protecting and restoring native violet patches, managing weeds, and safeguarding lowland wetlands are vital steps in bringing this near-vanished butterfly back from the brink.
Photo: Garry Sankowsky