Candalides consimilis

Candalides consimilis Waterhouse, 1942
Consimilis Blue
CANDALIDINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 12 May 2008)

Female
(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis)

These Caterpillars can be nearly any colour: pink, orange, yellow, or green, and have variable markings. They have a brown head and a knobbly body, and are covered in fine hair. They feed on the flowers of various plants, for example:-

Ivy ( Hedera helix, ARALIACEAE ),

Celery Wood ( Polyscias elegans, ARALIACEAE ),

Elderberry Panax ( Polyscias sambucifolia, ARALIACEAE ),

Christmas bush ( Ceratopetalum gummiferum, CUNONIACEAE ), and

Beach Bird's Eye ( Alectryon coriaceus, SAPINDACEAE ).

They pupate in a sheltered spot, often in a dead curled leaf. The pupa is brown with variable brown markings, and has a length of about 1.3 cms. When disturbed, it squeaks.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The female adults are brown on top, and the males mauve with brown margins. Both have two black spots by the tornus of each hind wing, and no tail. The underside of each wing is pale fawn with white markings. The underside of each hind wing has the two black spots near the tornus. The butterflies have a wing span of about 3 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Museum Victoria)

The eggs are very pale green, round, and flattened. They are laid singly on flower buds or young shoots of a foodplant.

The species occurs down the whole of the east coast of mainland Australia as three races:

consimilis throughout Queensland and New South Wales,

toza on the Cape York peninsula, and

goodingi mainly in Victoria.