Anthene lycaenoides

Anthene lycaenoides (C. Felder 1860)
Pale Ciliate Blue
(previously known as Dipsas lycaenoides)
LYCAENESTHINI, POLYOMMATINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@outlook.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Anthene lycaenoides
female
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

This Caterpillar can be any colour, from yellow through green to purple, depending on the colour of the flower buds it is eating. It often has a pale sub-dorsal bands. It has been found feeding on a the flower buds of a wide variety of Australian native and introduced plants, including :

Golden Shower ( Cassia fistula, CAESALPINIACEAE ),

Supplejack ( Flagellaria indica, COMMELINACEAE ),

Pop-gun Seed ( Bridelia tomentosa, EUPHORBIACEAE ),

Pongam ( Pongamia pinnata, FABACEAE ),

Lolly Bush ( Clerodendrum floribundum, LAMIACEAE ),

Timor Liana ( Rhyssopterys timorensis, MALPIGHIACEAE ), and

Carrotwood ( Cupaniopsis anacardioides, SAPINDACEAE ).

The caterpillars are often attended by ants of a variety of species, including :

Citrus Ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina, FORMICINAE ),

Acrobat Ants ( Crematogaster, MYRMICINAE ),

Black Ants ( Iridomyrmex anceps, DOLICHODERINAE ), and

Rusty Trapdoor Ants ( Odontomachus ruficeps, PONERINAE ).

(Photo: courtesy of Mark Hopkinson)

The pupa is green with a yellow line along the back. Its length is about 1 cm. It is formed typically on top a foodplant leaf, and held by the tail and a girdle.

male
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences)

The adult male butterflies are lilac on top, whereas the females are brown with lilac toward the base of each wing, and have a white patch in the middle of each forewing. Both sexes have a small tail at the tornus of each hindwing. Underneath, both sexes are fawn with arcs of darker markings, and an orange-edged black spot by the hindwing tail. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 2.5 cms.