Ogyris oroetes

Ogyris oroetes (Hewitson, 1862)
Silky Azure
ARHOPALINI, THECLINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA

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

This species is presumably named after the Oroetes, Persian Govenor of Sardis, referred to by Herodotus as the murderer of Polycrates, around 500 BC.

The Caterpillar is grey, furry and flat. It feeds on various species of Mistletoe (LORANTHACEAE) including :

Gum Mistletoe ( Amyema bifurcata ),

Box Mistletoe ( Amyema miquelii ), and

Drooping Mistletoe ( Amyema pendula ).

which are a parasitic on:

Gum ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ).

The early instars feed by day, but later instars feed nocturnally, sheltering by day under loose bark or in ground debris. The Caterpillars are usually attended by various species of ants from the subfamilies :

DOLICHODERINAE,

FORMICINAE,

MYRMICINAE, and

PSEUDOMYRMECINAE.

(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The pupa is brown with dark markings, and has a length of about 1.3 cms. Pupation typically occurs in situations like the larval shelter.

male
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

On top, the adults are a metallic blue, with the males tending towards lilac, and the females having black margins.

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

Underneath: the wings are a blotchy fawn, and the fore wings each have a series of black and white stripes under the leading edge.

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

The adult butterflies have a wingspan of 3 to 4 cms.

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

The species occurs over much of mainland Australia as two races :

oroetes in

Western Australia,

Northern Territory,

Queensland, and

New South Wales,

and apiculata Quick, 1972, in

New South Wales,

South Australia, and

Western Australia.

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Ken Walker, Millmerran, Queensland)

The eggs are brown or grey, and dome-shaped, each covered with about 50 dimples of various sizes. The eggs have a diameter of about 0.8 mm. They are usually laid singly on leaves of foodplants.