Erysichton palmyra tasmanicus

Erysichton palmyra tasmanicus (Miskin, 1890)
(one synonym : Lycaena elaborata)
Marbled Blue
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 17 March 2004)

female
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

This Caterpillar is rusty coloured and smooth. It feeds on on various species of Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ) including :

Sheoak Mistletoe ( Amyema cambagei ), and

Long Flowered Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe vitellina ).

The adult male butterflies of this species are an iridescent blue on top of both fore and hindwings, yet the females have white forewings with black tips and blue bases, and have blue hindwings with an arc of brown spots. They both have a thin tail at the tornus of each hindwing. Underneath, they are pale brown with dark brown markings, and the females have a white patch under the middle of each forewing. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 2 cms.

This subspecies occurs along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales. Other subspecies occur in Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomons.