Arhopala madytus

Arhopala madytus Fruhstorfer, 1914
(previously known as : Narathura madytus)
Bright Oakblue
ARHOPALINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 12 May 2008)

(Photo: courtesy of Martin Purvis)

These Caterpillars are green with a brown pattern on their back. They can make clicking sounds by rubbing sugments 5 and 6 together. They live by day in a silk shelter between joined leaves of a food plant. Nocturnally they feed on:

Cottonwood ( Hibiscus tiliaceus , MALVACEAE ),

False Almond ( Terminalia catappa, COMBRETACEAE ),

Brown Damson ( Terminalia melanocarpa, COMBRETACEAE ), and

Australian Damson ( Terminalia sericocarpa, COMBRETACEAE ).

They are attended by the green ants :

Citrus Ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina, FORMICINAE ).

The pupa is green with a length of about 2 cms. It is formed in the joined leaf shelter.

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

The male adult butterflies are a brilliant metallic bluish-purple, with a narrow black border around each wing.

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

The females are similar but have a much wider black border. The hind wings of both sexes each have a little tail. The butterflies have a wing span of about 4 cms.

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

Underneath, the butterflies are brown, with arcs of dark spots outlined in pale brown. There is a blue stripe along the rear margin by the tail of each hind wing.

The species is found over New Guinea and adjacent islands, and also the north-east coast of Queensland.