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| Blue Banded Eggfly | Common Crow | Orange Lacewing |
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| Orange Bush Brown | Australian Lurcher | Monarch |
Nymphalidae
The Brush-footed Butterflies
The butterflies in this huge family vary greatly in size and colour. They are so varied that many people divide them up into about seven other families. Many of the best known butterfly migrants belong to this family. We all know about the fabulous migrations of the Monarch, Danaus plexippus; but there are other related species that also migrate here in Australia. The common crow, Euploea core, and the Blue Tiger, Tirumala hamatas are just two of these.
Another interesting fact about these butterflies is that, despite being insects (which have six legs), these butterflies only appear to have four legs! In fact, they do have six, but don’t walk around on the front pair. If you look closely, you may spot them tucked up underneath their "chin". They are short, hairy legs that look a bit like brushes (hence the common name) and are used by the female when she is identifying the right plant species on which to lay her eggs.
