(previously known as Holochila fulgens)
LUCIINI, THECLINAE, LYCAENIDAE, PAPILIONOIDEA
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)
These Caterpillars are green with a yellow dorsal line, and have dense hairs along the sides. They grow to a length of about 1.3 cms.
They feed on various members of the Laurel family ( LAURACEAE ) including :
The Caterpillars feed nocturnally, skeltonising the leaves. By day, they rest under a leaf.
They pupate under a leaf. The pupa is green with a few orange markings and a brown dorsal patch. Its length is about 1 cm.
On top, the adult male butterflies of this species have metallic purplish-blue forewings with black wingtips, and metallic turquoise hindwings with a black margin.
The adult female butterflies are similar, but have a more turquoise coloration, with wider black margins.
Underneath, they are both white, with two black dots at the tornus of each hindwing. The wingspan of the butterflies is about 2.5 cms.
The eggs are dome shaped and white. They have a diameter of about 0.5 mm. They are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.
Various subspecies are found around
The subspecies kurandae Waterhouse, 1902, is found in Australia in
Further reading :
Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 680-681.
Henley Grose-Smith & William Forsell Kirby,
Lycaenidae (Oriental) Holochila,
Series 3, Volume 2 (1897), p. 8, No. 13, and also Plate 2, figs. 14-15.
The early stages of Philiris fulgeus kurandae Waterhouse and Philiris diana papuana Wind and Clench (Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae),
Australian Entomological Magazine,
Volume 10 (1984), p. 6.
(updated 25 December 2009, 22 November 2013)