Blues, Hairstreaks, & Coppers
PAPILIONOIDEA
| ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com ) & Stella Crossley |
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| ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com ) & Stella Crossley |
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The common names of the families are derived generally from the adults not the Caterpillars. "Blue" and "Copper" refer to the predominant colours of the wings of the adults of various members of this family.
The butterflies of LYCAENIDAE generally lay their eggs singly on the undersides of young leaves of the foodplants. The eggs are usually spherical and cream coloured.
Most of the Caterpillars of this family are small, as are the adults. The Caterpillars also have an unusual shape and posture. Their head is often held under the body, which is flattened and broad, superficially resembling a wood louse or slater. They are often covered with secondary hairs (setae) of diverse shapes, such as branched, clubbed, or stellate. The bodies of many species also bear median and dorsolateral organs, typically on the seventh segment. These secrete a honey-like liquid, which often attracts ants. The continual presence of the ants probably deters parasitic wasps and flies from preying on the Caterpillars. This topic is the subject of current research.
The pupae are usually secured by hooks beneath the rear abdominal segments to a pad of silk and by a central girdle of silk. However, in some species the pupae lie free in the soil, and hooks and girdle are absent.
The 141 Australian species of LYCAENIDAE are:
Acrodipsas arcana : Arcana Ant Blue
Acrodipsas aurata : Golden Ant Blue
Acrodipsas brisbanensis : Large Ant Blue
Acrodipsas cuprea : Cuprea Ant Blue
Acrodipsas hirtipes : Hirtipes Ant Blue
Acrodipsas illidgei : Illidge's Ant Blue
Acrodipsas melania : Black Ant Blue
Acrodipsas myrmecophila : Small Ant Blue
Anthene lycaenoides : Pale Ciliate Blue
Anthene seltuttus : Dark Ciliate Blue
Arhopala centaurus : Dull Oakblue
Arhopala madytus : Bright Oakblue
Arhopala micale : Common Oakblue
Arhopala wildei : Small Oakblue
Bindahara phocides : Australian Plane
Candalides absimilis : Pencilled Blue
Candalides acasta : Blotched Blue
Candalides consimilis : Consimilis Blue
Candalides cyprotus : Cyprotus Blue
Candalides delospila : Ord River Blue
Candalides erinus : Small Dusky Blue
Candalides geminus : Geminus Blue
Candalides gilberti : Gilbert's Blue
Candalides heathi : Rayed Blue
Candalides helenita : Helenita Blue
Candalides hyacinthina : Common Dusky Blue
Candalides margarita
: Margarita's Blue
Candalides noelkeri
: Golden Rayed Blue
Candalides xanthospilos
: Yellow Spot Blue
Catochrysops amasea
: Pale Blue
Catochrysops panormus : Forget-me-not
Catopyrops ancyra : Ancyra Blue
Catopyrops florinda : Speckled Lineblue
Danis danis
: Large Green-banded Blue
Deudorix democles : White-spotted Flash
Deudorix diovis : Cornelian
Deudorix epijarbas
Deudorix epirus : Epirus Blue
Deudorix smilis : Smilis Blue
Erysichton lineata : Hairy Lineblue
Erysichton palmyra : Marbled Blue
Euchrysops cnejus : Cupid
Everes lacturnus : Tailed Cupid
Famegana alsulus : Black Spotted Grass Blue
Freyeria putli
: Grass Jewel
Hypochrysops apelles
: Copper Jewel
Hypochrysops apollo
: Apollo Jewel
Hypochrysops byzos
: Yellow Spot Jewel
Hypochrysops cleon : Cleon Jewel
Hypochrysops cyane : Cyane Jewel
Hypochrysops delicia : Moonlight Jewel
Hypochrysops digglesii : Diggle's Jewel
Hypochrysops elgneri : Elgneri Jewel
Hypochrysops epicurus : Dull Jewel
Hypochrysops halyaetus : Western Jewel
Hypochrysops hippuris : Hippuris Jewel
Hypochrysops ignita : Fiery Jewel
Hypochrysops miskini : Miskin's Jewel
Hypochrysops narcissus : Narcissus Jewel
Hypochrysops piceata : Bulloak Jewel
Hypochrysops polycletus : Rovena Jewel
Hypochrysops pythias : Peacock Jewel
Hypochrysops theon : Theon Jewel
Hypolycaena danis : Black & White Tit
Hypolycaena phorbas : Common Tit
Ionolyce helicon : Helicon Lineblue
Jalmenus aridus : Desert Blue
Jalmenus clementi : Clement's Blue
Jalmenus daemeli : Daemel's Blue
Jalmenus evagoras : Common Imperial Blue
Jalmenus eichorni : Northern Imperial Blue
Jalmenus icilius : Icilius Blue
Jalmenus ictinus : Ictinus Blue
Jalmenus inous : Inous Blue
Jalmenus lithochroa : Lithochroa Blue
Jalmenus pseudictinus : Macqueen's Hairstreak
Jamides aleuas : Bright Cerulean
Jamides amarauge : Amarauge Cerulean
Jamides cyta : Pale Cerulean
Jamides phaseli : Dark Cerulean
Lampides boeticus : Pea Blue
Leptotes plinius : Zebra Blue
Liphyra brassolis : Moth Butterfly
Lucia limbaria : Small Copper
Megisba strongyle : Malayan
Nacaduba berenice : Six Lineblue
Nacaduba biocellata : Double Spotted Lineblue
Nacaduba cyanea : Tailed Green-Banded Blue
Nacaduba kurava : White Line Blue
Neolucia agricola : Fringed Blue
Neolucia hobartensis : Mountain Blue
Neolucia mathewi : Mathew's Blue
Neopithecops lucifer : Quaker
Nesolycaena albosericea : Satin Blue
Nesolycaena caesia : Sky Blue
Nesolycaena urumelia : Arnhemland Blue
Ogyris abrota : Dark Purple Azure
Ogyris aenone : Cooktown Azure
Ogyris amaryllis : Amaryllis Azure
Ogyris barnardi : Barnard's Azure
Ogyris genoveva : Geneoveva Azure
Ogyris ianthis : Sydney Azure
Ogyris idmo : Large Brown Azure
Ogyris iphis : Dodd's Azure
Ogyris olane : Olane Azure
Ogyris oroetes : Silky Azure
Ogyris otanes : Small Brown Azure
Ogyris subterrestris : Arid Bronze Azure
Ogyris zosine : Purple Azure
Paralucia aurifer : Bright Copper
Paralucia pyrodiscus : Eltham Copper
Paralucia spinifera : Bathurst Copper
Petrelaea tombugensis : Ios Blue
Philiris azula : Azula Moonbeam
Philiris diana : Diana Moonbeam
Philiris fulgens : Purple Moonbeam
Philiris innotatus : Common Moonbeam
Philiris nitens : Blue Moonbeam
Philiris sappheira : Sapphire Moonbeam
Philiris ziska : Ziska Moonbeam
Pithecops dionisius : Pied Blue
Praetaxila segecia : Australian Harlequin
Prosotas dubiosa : Small Purple Lineblue
Prosotas felderi : Felder's Lineblue
Prosotas nora : Nora's Lineblue
Pseudalmenus chlorinda : Chlorinda Hairstreak
Pseudodipsas cephenes : Cephenes Blue
Pseudodipsas eone : Eone Blue
Psychonotis caelius : Small Green-banded Blue
Rapala varuna : Indigo Flash
Sahulana scintillata : Glistening Blue
Strymon bazochii : Lantana Scrub Hairstreak
Theclinesthes albocincta : Bitter-Bush Blue
Theclinesthes hesperia : Hesperia Blue
Theclinesthes miskini : Miskin's Blue
Theclinesthes onycha : Cycad Blue
Theclinesthes serpentata : Chequered Blue
Theclinesthes sulpitius : Saltpan Blue
Udara tenella : Australian Hedge Blue
Zizeeria karsandra : Dark Grass Blue
Zizina labradus : Common Grass Blue
Zizula hylax : Tiny Grass Blue
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(updated 22 May 2010)