Neolucia hobartensis

Neolucia hobartensis (Miskin, 1890)
(previously known as : Lycaena hobartensis)
Mountain Blue
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

Neolucia hobartensis
(Photo: courtesy of Todd Burrows, taken in Tasmania)

This Caterpillar is green with a faint brown dorsal stripe, and yellow lateral stripes. It is covered in short sparse hairs. It has been found feeding on the flowers and flowerbuds of:

Drumstick Heath ( Epacris breviflora ),

Swamp Heath ( Epacris paludosa ), and

Epacris petrophylla.

all of EPACRIDACEAE. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 1 cm.

(Photo: courtesy of E.D. Edwards, from "Butterflies of Australia" by M.F. Braby)

The pupa is green with a dark dorsal line and black spots, and is often attached to a twig. Its length is about 0.6 cm.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The adults are brown on top with chequered margins. Underneath, they are pale brown. The underside of each hind wing has af white and dark brown scalloped pattern. The butterflies have a wing span up to 2 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The eggs have three lobes and are pale green. They are laid singly in the leaf axils of young shoots of a foodplant.

The species lives in the mountains of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, as two recognised races:

hobartensis, and

monticola.