Nacaduba kurava

Nacaduba kurava (Moore, [1858])
(one synonym : Pepliphorus syrias)
White Line Blue
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 30 August 2008)

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis)

These Caterpillars are yellowish-green and knobbly, although the colour appears to vary according to the colour of the food being eaten. They feed on the flowers and shoots of various plants including :

River Mangrove ( Aegiceras corniculatum, MYRSINACEAE ),

Embelia curvinervia ( MYRSINACEAE ),

Maesa dependens ( MYRSINACEAE ),

Maesa haplobotrys ( MYRSINACEAE ),

Muttonwood ( Rapanea variabilis, MYRSINACEAE ), and

Carrotwood ( Cupaniopsis anacardioides, SAPINDACEAE ).

The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 1 cm.

The pupa is brown with dark spots. It has a length of about 1 cm. It is formed in some sheltered crevice or curled dead leaf.

male and female upper surfaces
(Photo: courtesy of Yusuke Takanami & Yasuo Seki)

The adult male butterflies are purple on top, but the females are white with a blue sheen and a broad black costa and margin. Both sexes of the adult butterfliy have a thin tail at the tornus of each hind wing. Underneath, both sexes are pale grey, with a white patch under each wing, and multiple arcs of white dashes, and with a black spot beside each tail. The butterflies have a wing span of about 2.5 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis)

The eggs are laid in ones or twos on young shoots or flowers of a foodplant. The eggs are white, rough, round, and flattened, with a diameter of abour 0.5 mm.

The species occurs as many races, from India to the Solomons, including the Philippines, and in Australia as two races:

parma in Queensland, and

felsina in the Northern Territory.