Danis danis

Danis danis (Cramer, [1775])
Large Green-banded Blue
(one synonym : Thysonotis reverdini Fruhstorfer, 1915)
POLYOMMATINI, POLYOMMATINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA

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

Danis danis
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

This Caterpillar is knobbly and orange with black spots along the sides. It has been found feeding on :

Derris ( Derris species, FABACEAE ),

Shell Vine ( Connarus conchocarpus, OXALIDACEAE ),

Water Vine ( Rourea brachyandra, OXALIDACEAE ), and

Red Ash ( Alphitonia excelsa, SAPINDACEAE ).

When not feeding, the Caterpillar usually rests on the underside of a leaf.

The pupa is cream with black spots, and has a length of about 1.5 cms. It is formed in the debris at the base of its foodplant.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The male and female adults are different. On top, the males are blue with a large white patch on each wing, and a black margin to each wing. The females are black with large white patches on each wing, and a metallic blue suffusion at the base of each wing.

Female
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, the sexes are similar. They are white with broad black margins. The wings have a metallic green arc in the black marginal band. The hindwings have a series of black spots in this green arc. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

Female underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The eggs are white, round, flattened, and spiny. They are laid singly on low level foodplant shoots.

The species occurs as various subspecies across the south-west Pacific including

New Guinea,

and in Australia it occurs as two subspecies :

syrius Miskin, 1890, in Queensland on Cape York, and

serapis Miskin, 1891, in Queensland south of Cairns, and northern New South Wales.