Neolucia agricola

Neolucia agricola (Westwood, [1851])
(previously known as : Lucia agricola)
Fringed Blue
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

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

This Caterpillar is green or brown with a thin dark dorsal stripe bordered by pink and white. It has a hairy tail and a hairy brown head. It is sometimes attended by the small black ants

Iridomyrmex species ( DOLICHODERINAE ).

It feeds inside the flower buds of various FABACEAE :

Golden Pea ( Aotus ericoides ),

Bossiaea carinalis,

Appressed Bossea ( Bossiaea rhombifolia ),

Daviesia angulata,

Marno ( Daviesia divaricata ),

Blunt-leaf Bitter-pea ( Daviesia mimosoides ),

Dillwynia,

Small-leaved Eutaxia ( Eutaxia microphylla ),

Stinkwood ( Jacksonia sternbergiana ),

Bristly Bush Pea ( Pultenaea acerosa ), and

Twiggy Bush Pea ( Pultenaea largiflorens ),

Pultenaea rigida.

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

The pupa can be any colour from pink to dark brown, with darker spots and makings. Its length is about 0.7 cm. The pupa is sometimes formed attached to the foodplant, an sometimes in adjacent leaf litter on the ground.

(Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan, Noosa)

The adults are brown on top with chequered margins. Underneath, they are pale brown. The underside of each fore wing has a stripe and patches of darker brown outlined in black and white. The underside of each hind wing has a white flash and two black chevrons. The butterflies have a wing span of about 2 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan, Noosa)

The species occurs as three recognised races:

agricola in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia,

insulana in Tasmania, and

occidens in Western Australia.