Everes lacturnus

Everes lacturnus australis Couchman, 1962
(one synonym: Polyommatus lacturnus)
Tailed Cupid
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 8 June 2002)

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

This Caterpillar is green and hairy, with light and dark lines. It grows to a length of about 1 cm. It feeds on the flowers and seedpods of :

Desmodium heterocarpus ( FABACEAE ).

The pupa is green with black markings, and has a length of about 0.7 cm. It is formed in amonst the fruit pods of the foodplant.

The adults are brown on top with several orange-edged black spots on the rear edge of each hind wing. The males have an iridescent blue sheen. The hind wings each have a thin tail. Underneath, the wings are white with a fawn subterminal arc, and two black spots near the front on each hind wing. Also, there is a row of black spots by the tail on each hind wing, two being surrounded with orange. The adult butterflies have a wingspan of about 2 cms.

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

The eggs are pale green, round, and flattened, with a diameter of about 0.5 mm. They are laid singly on flowers and pods of a foodplant.

The species occurs over much of south-east Asia, from India to the Solomons. The subspecies australis occurs in New Guinea, and the north and east coasts of Australia, from the Kimberley around to Port Macquarie.