| Gilbert's Blue CANDALIDINI, POLYOMMATINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@outlook.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Craig Nieminski, Darwin, Northern Territory)
|
| Gilbert's Blue CANDALIDINI, POLYOMMATINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@outlook.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Craig Nieminski, Darwin, Northern Territory)
These Caterpillars are narrow and have a length of about 1.5 cms. They are green or red with various markings. The main colour depends on which part of a foodplant is being eaten: green if eating leaves, red if eating flowers. The caterpillars have a green head and tail. They have been found feeding on species of Mistletoe (LORANTHACEAE), including :
The pupa is mottled brown and has flanges on the abdomen. Its length is about 1.4 cms. It has been found in various sheltered spots on or near the foodplant. It squeaks if disturbed.
The adults butterflies of this species are blue on top, with the females also having broad black margin and costa. Underneath, they both are white with rows of dark dots and dashes. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 2 cms.
The eggs are white and dome-shaped, with a diameter of about 0.7 mm. They are laid singly on young shoots or buds of a foodplant.
The species occurs in Australia in
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 757-758.
Gustavus Athol Waterhouse,
Notes on Australian Rhopalocera : Lycaenidae, part 3,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Volume 28, Part 1 (1903), pp. 181-182.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 9 December 2009, 31 October 2013, 8 July 2020)