Paralucia pyrodiscus

Last updated

Paralucia pyrodiscus
Paralucia pyrodiscus (ento-csiro-au).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Paralucia
Species:
P. pyrodiscus
Binomial name
Paralucia pyrodiscus
(Rosenstock, 1885)
Synonyms
  • Lucia pyrodiscusDoubleday, 1847
  • Lucia pyrodiscusRosenstock, 1885
  • Chrysophanus aeneaMiskin, 1890
  • Paralucia lucidaCrosby, 1951

The fiery copper or dull copper (Paralucia pyrodiscus) is an endemic Australian butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. One of the two subspecies, P. p. lucida, is commonly known as the Eltham copper. [1]

Contents

The larvae feed on Bursaria spinosa and are associated with Notoncus ants. [1]

Distribution

It is found in eastern Australia from central Queensland through eastern New South Wales and into eastern Victoria. Outlying populations occur in north Queensland and central Victoria.[ citation needed ]

Behavior

The larvae of P. p. lucida are nocturnal and feed solely on Busaria spinosa after dusk for many hours. When the temperature is above 15 °C, the larvae become inactive. They live for long periods of time, and remain active, though less-so, in the winter months. During these times, they rest in the subterranean nest chambers of different Notoncus ants, depending on their geographic distribution. During the day, larvae also rest in the ants' nest chambers near the roots of B. spinosa. At night, ants herd the larvae up the Busaria plants. Their movement signals to other larvae, creating large numbers of movement each night. Several ants commonly accompany individual larva and remain with them until they finish eating. If a larva is disturbed while feeding, it retreats back into the nest and usually does not return that night. Larvae do not leave their host plant and ant nest during their development, and they pupate inside the ant nest. [2]

Taxonomy

The fiery copper was first described by Rudolph Rosenstock in 1885. [3]

Subspecies

The species is divided into the following two subspecies:

Conservation

The subspecies Eltham copper was thought extinct in the 1950s. A major conservation movement surrounding it started in 1987 after a colony in the Melbourne area was found, [4] [5] and its existence publicised that year with the release by the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands of a book on the butterfly by David Cameron and Phil Ingamells. [6] It is listed as "threatened" on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. [7] Populations have declined due to loss of habitat by urbanisation and loss of a natural fire regime. [1] Two reserves in Eltham were partially burnt in 1998 in an attempt to improve habitat quality for the Eltham copper. [1] The butterfly was found in remnant bushland near Montmorency Railway Station in March 2021, the area was at risk as part of clearing for Hurstbridge line duplication works. [8] The state government then cancelled the proposed duplication works that would impact the butterfly habitat. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large blue</span> Species of butterfly

The large blue is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first defined in 1758 and first recorded in Britain in 1795. In 1979 the species became mostly extinct in Britain but has been successfully reintroduced with new conservation methods. The species is classified as "near threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Today P. arion can be found in Europe, the Caucasus, Armenia, western Siberia, Altai, north-western Kazakhstan and Sichuan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common blue</span> Species of butterfly

The common blue butterfly or European common blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lycaenidae</span> Family of butterflies

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver-studded blue</span> Species of butterfly

The silver-studded blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It has bright blue wings rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on its hindwings, lending it the name of the silver-studded blue. P. argus can be found across Europe and east across the Palearctic, but it is most often studied in the United Kingdom where the species has experienced a severe decline in population due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

<i>Phengaris alcon</i> Species of butterfly

Phengaris alcon, the Alcon blue or Alcon large blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae and is found in Europe and across the Palearctic to Siberia and Mongolia.

<i>Liphyra brassolis</i> Species of butterfly

Liphyra brassolis, also known as the moth butterfly, is a butterfly found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia that belongs to the lycaenid family. The larvae are predatory and feed on ant larvae. This is one of the largest species of lycaenid butterflies. Several disjunct populations across its wide distribution range are considered as subspecies. Never a common butterfly, specimens of this species are highly prized by collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illidge's ant blue</span> Species of butterfly

Illidge's ant-blue butterfly, is an endangered species of butterfly endemic to Australia. This species can be found at six confirmed sites: Mary River Heads, Beaver Rock and Maaroom in the Fraser Coast Region (Queensland); Redland Bay and Point Halloran in the City of Redland (Queensland), and Brunswick Heads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown treecreeper</span> Species of bird

The brown treecreeper is the largest Australasian treecreeper. The bird, endemic to eastern Australia, has a broad distribution, occupying areas from Cape York, Queensland, throughout New South Wales and Victoria to Port Augusta and the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Prevalent nowadays between 16˚S and 38˚S, the population has contracted from the edges of its pre-European range, declining in Adelaide and Cape York. Found in a diverse range of habitats varying from coastal forests to mallee shrub-lands, the brown treecreeper often occupies eucalypt-dominated woodland habitats up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), avoiding areas with a dense shrubby understorey.

<i>Phengaris rebeli</i> Species of butterfly

Phengaris rebeli, common name mountain Alcon blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was first found and described in Styria, Austria, on Mount Hochschwab around 1700. Although it was initially classified as a subspecies of P. alcon, a European researcher, Lucien A. Berger, designated it as a separate species in 1946. Genetic similarities between P. rebeli and P. alcon have led many researchers to argue that the two are the same species and differences are due to intraspecific variation.

<i>Paralucia spinifera</i> Species of butterfly

Paralucia spinifera, commonly known as the Bathurst copper or purple copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to Australia.

<i>Paralucia</i> Butterfly genus in family Lycaenidae

Paralucia is a genus of butterflies endemic to Australia and belonging to the family Lycaenidae. The caterpillars feed on Bursaria and sometimes Pittosporum species and co-habit with ants of the genera Anonychomyrma and Notoncus.

<i>Bursaria spinosa</i> Species of plant

Bursaria spinosa is a small tree or shrub in the family Pittosporaceae. The species occurs mainly in the eastern and southern half of Australia and not in Western Australia or the Northern Territory. Reaching 10 m (35 ft) high, it bears fragrant white flowers at any time of year but particularly in summer. A common understorey shrub of eucalyptus woodland, it colonises disturbed areas and fallow farmland. It is an important food plant for several species of butterflies and moths, particularly those of the genus Paralucia, and native bees.

Pauline Therese Toner was the first female cabinet minister in the Parliament of Victoria. A member of the Labor Party, she was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1977 and was Minister for Community Welfare Services from 1982 to 1985. She resigned from Parliament in 1989 and died on 3 March 1989.

<i>Acrodipsas cuprea</i> Species of butterfly

Acrodipsas cuprea, the copper ant-blue or cuprea ant-blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Australia, from southern Queensland to Victoria.

<i>Paralucia aurifer</i> Species of butterfly

The bright copper is a butterfly belonging to the family Lycaenidae.

Aloeides margaretae, the Marguarite's copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from the western coast and along the south coast in the Western Cape.

<i>Ogyris genoveva</i> Species of butterfly

Ogyris genoveva, the genoveva azure or southern purple azure, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Australia.

<i>Niphanda fusca</i> Species of butterfly

Niphanda fusca is a parasitic butterfly primarily found in East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. It is a "cuckoo-type" parasite of the ant Camponotus japonicus. It utilizes chemical mimicry to trick the host worker ants into adopting it while it is a third-instar caterpillar. From there, it is fed mouth-to-mouth by the worker ants as though it were one of their own young.

Philip Clark Ingamells was an Australian conservationist, photographer, writer and advocate for the preservation of parks and wilderness areas who worked for the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA).

<i>Hypochrysops piceatus</i> Species of butterfly

Hypochrysops piceatus, commonly referred to as the bulloak jewel, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae endemic to Australia. It was first described in 1969 by John Kerr, Jack Macqueen, and Don Sands. It is restricted to two present localities under 10 km2 in area in Southeastern Queensland, with another locality's population extirpated due to land clearing. As a result, it has been described as "Australia's rarest butterfly", with an estimated 37% chance of extinction by 2040.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Eltham Copper Butterfly". Museums Victoria. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  2. Insect behavior : from mechanisms to ecological and evolutionary consequences. Córdoba-Aguilar, Alex,, González-Tokman, Daniel,, González-Santoyo, Isaac (First ed.). Oxford. p. 352. ISBN   9780191838842. OCLC   1045426359.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Rosenstock, Rudolph (1885). "XL.—Notes on Australian Lepidoptera, with descriptions of new species". Journal of Natural History. Series 5. 16 (96): 421–443. doi:10.1080/00222938509459909.
  4. New, T. R. (1993). "Conservation Biology of Lycaenidae (Butterflies)" (PDF). International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
  5. THREATENED SPECIES SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. "Conservation Advice: Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida (Eltham copper)" (PDF). Department of Environment and Energy of the Australian Government.
  6. Ingamells, Phil; Cameron, David, (Photographer); Victoria. Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands (1987), The Eltham Copper butterfly, Conservation Forests & Lands, Victoria, retrieved 3 September 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "Eltham Copper Butterfly". www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  8. Perkins, Miki (2021-03-11). "Suburban residents sound alarm on rare butterflies as rail works kick off". The Age. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  9. Jacks, Timna (23 June 2021). "Butterfly flaps its wings in Montmorency – and upends $530m rail plan". The Age. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2023.

Further reading