Ogyris olane

Ogyris olane (Hewitson, 1862)
Dark Purple Azure
ARHOPALINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 14 July 2004)

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The eggs of this species are dark brown and round, with a diameter just under 1 mm. They are laid in ones or twos on a foodplant.

The Caterpillar is flat and pinkish-brown with dark markings. It hides by day, and feeds nocturnally on Mistletoes ( LORANTHACEAE ) such as :

Box Mistletoe ( Amyena miquelii ), and

Drooping Mistletoe ( Amyema pendulum ),

which are parasitic on

Gum ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ).

The Caterpillars are often attended by various species of ants.

The pupa is mottled brown with a dark line along the back. Its length is about 1.5 cms. It is formed in a crevice often some distance from the foodplant. It is unusual in that it can make clicking noises.

(Photo: courtesy of R.P. Field, Museum Victoria)

The male and female adults are quite similar. They are purple on top with broad black wing margins.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, the fore wings are dark brown, with white lines emanating from the costa. The hind wings have a complex brown pattern. The butterflies have a wing span of about 4 cms.

Widespread but very local, adults are sighted flying around the tops of eucalypts which support their host. As with all Ogyris, the only practicable way to obtain adults is to collect larvae and pupae, as the adult butterflies do not feed from flowers, or descend to ground level. The species occurs over most of the eastern half of Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and also South Australia. Various races have been proposed :

ocela, and

olane,

but more recent studies have indicated that the observed variations may be only a cline.