Anthene lycaenoides

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

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

Anthene lycaenoides
female
(Photo: courtesy of Paul Kay)

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
(Photo: courtesy of Paul Kay)

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.

eggs between flower buds
(Photo: courtesy of John Lahey, Brisbane, Queensland)

The eggs are pale blue, covered in a white polygonal network., and The eggs are shaped like a flattened sphere. They are laid singly on flower buds or young shoots of a foodplant.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of John Lahey, Brisbane, Queensland)

Various subspecies are found in

Indonesia,

Malaysia,

New Guinea, and

Thailand,

The subspecies godeffroyi (Semper, [1879]) is found in Australia in

Northern Territory, and

Queensland.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)