Barnard's Azure
ARHOPALINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 11 July 2004)
male
(Photo: courtesy of
R. Grund).
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 11 July 2004)
male
(Photo: courtesy of
R. Grund).
The Caterpillar of this species is pink and flat with black dots, a brown head, and two ridges on the tail. It feeds on various species of Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ) such as :
which are parasites on:
The Caterpillars typically feed nocturnally, and hide in crevices by day. The Caterpillars are usually attended by the small black ants :
The pupa is mottled brown with a length of about 1.5 cms. Pupation usually occurs in a crevice or under bark on the foodplant host.
The adults are metallic purple on top, the females having a broader black margin to the wings. Both sexes are blotchy fawn underneath, the fore wings each having a series of black and white stripes under the leading edge. The butterflies have a wingspan of 3 to 4 cms. They are rather sluggish flyers.
The eggs are black with a green dot. The are round and flattened, with a diameter of about 0.8 mm. They are laid singly on leaves or flowerbuds of a foodplant.
The species occurs over the inland of south-eastern Australia as two races :
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby, Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2.
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