A true rarety

I've always dreamed of seeing a rare butterfly.  And today I did.  Not that I knew it at the time, and if I had known it I would have spent a lot longer photographing it.

It's a Mottled Grass-Skipper (Anisynta cynone).

The info on it is quite lengthy, but I'm going to crave your indulgence, simply because I am SO pleased with myself.  And big thanks to Antipodia for taking us this walk - because I would never had seen this skipper otherwise.

This fascinating Skipper has become rare due to habitat alteration, but persists in some coastal areas near the suburbs. It is assumed to breed on native grasses in the Adelaide area and has adapted to introduced grasses. If the Coast Tussock-grass is grown in gardens close to nature reserves near the sea, from Goolwa to Port Gawler, this Skipper may become established. The Mottled Grass-skipper has only one flight period, in autumn, and has the ability to delay egg hatching. It can also remain in the chrysalis stage for a long period over summer.

A rare Skipper in the Adelaide region, the Mottled Grass-skipper survives in sub-coastal grassland environments. These areas do not look appealing or capable of harbouring interesting wildlife and this, combined with the desirability of open land near the coast for residential development, have impacted on this butterfly. The butterfly emerges late in autumn, whereas most Skipper species are active in spring or summer. This allows the butterfly to lay its eggs near clumps of perennial grasses that produce new growth as the first autumn rains fall, which is when the eggs emerge.

"Happy dance"