Megisba strongyle

Megisba strongyle (C. Felder, 1860)
Malayan
POLYOMMATINI , POLYOMMATINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 16 June 2008)

Megisba strongyle
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The Caterpillar of this species is green with pale markings including a set of pale chevrons along the back. The caterpillars can also have rusty brown marks along the back. It is humpbacked and hairy, and grows to a length of about 1 cm.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

It can project a pair of organs from the tail segment. It feeds on the flower buds of various plants including :

Kamala ( Mallotus philippensis, EUPHORBIACEAE ),

Turn-in-the-Wind ( Mallotus paniculatus, EUPHORBIACEAE ),

Macaranga mamoena ( EUPHORBIACEAE ), and

Allophyllus cobbe ( SAPINDACEAE.

(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The pupa is green or brown with dark spots and markings. Its length is about 0.8 cm.

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

The adult butterflies are dark brown with a white patch on each wing.

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

The undersides are white with brown chevrons around the margins, and the hindwings each have five dark dots. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 2 cms.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

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

The species occurs in Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, and the subspecies nigra occurs in north Queensland.