| Common grass blue | |
|---|---|
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| This specimen, perched on a rose, is approximately 10 mm in size | |
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| At Cape Hillsborough National Park, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Zizina |
| Species: | Z. labradus |
| Binomial name | |
| Zizina labradus | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
Zizina labradus, the common grass blue, grass blue, [3] or clover blue, [4] is a small Australian butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Adults are purplish blue on the upper wing surface with a black body and black or brown wing margins. These margins are larger on the female than the male. [5] The lower wing surface is brown to pale brownish grey with a pattern of fawn bands and spots, [4] [6] with the body covered in white or grey hairs. The wingspans of females are slightly larger than males, females having a wingspan of 23 mm and males 20 mm. [5] Common grass blues have a weak, fluttering flight and so usually fly near ground level close to a food source. [5]
Eggs are white or pale blue and have a mandarin shape[ clarification needed ] with a pitted surface. [5] Caterpillars reach about 7 mm in length, and their appearance is primarily green with a yellow stripe at the sides and a darker green stripe on the back, and brown or black head usually obscured under the thorax. [6] In captivity, fed on an artificial diet, larvae come in highly variable colours, ranging from white through red to dark purple. [5] Pupa are 10 mm long with erect hairs. Colouration varies, ranging from pink, greyish or greenish cream and contains mottled dark spots. [5]
The subspecies Zizina labradus labradus is found over most of continental Australia, as well as on Lord Howe Island, [6] Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island, [7] while the subspecies Zizina labradus labdalon is restricted mainly to Cape York Peninsula. [6] The common grass blue is often misidentified as the lesser grass blue, Zizina otis . [6]
Zizina labradus labradus, as its name suggests, is very common and can be found in suburban gardens, particularly perching in grass; lawns and fields. [5]
Single eggs are laid which can hatch in a matter of days. [6] The eggs are laid on leaves, stems, flower buds and young pods of food plants, chiefly legumes of the family Fabaceae such as beans, clover, and various native species [5] [6] including Cullen australasicum (Tall Scurf-pea); Hardenbergia violacea (Native Lilac); Kennedia prostrata (Running Postman); and Lotus australis (Austral Trefoil). [8] Newly hatched larvae eat small holes from young leaves or flower buds, and later feed mainly inside flowers. [5] The larvae are considered a minor pest and will feed on leguminous plants such as garden beans by eating a small hole into the pods and then devouring the soft seeds within. [5] In captivity when food is scarce the larger larvae will cannibalize smaller ones. [5]
The larvae are typically attended by ants of the genera Paratrechina , Rhytidoponera , and Tapinoma . [4]
The pupa attaches to the lower leaf surface of the food plants with anal hooks and a central girdle. [5] [6]
The small blue is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The species can live in colonies of up to several hundred and in its caterpillar stage is cannibalistic.
Apatura iris, the purple emperor, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
The geranium bronze or brun des pélargoniums in French, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.
Papilio demoleus is a common and widespread swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly is also known as the lime butterfly, lemon butterfly, lime swallowtail, and chequered swallowtail. These common names refer to their host plants, which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies, it does not have a prominent tail. When the adult stage is taken into consideration, the lime swallowtail is the shortest-lived butterfly, with male adults dying after four days and females after a week. The butterfly is native to Asia and Australia, and can be considered an invasive pest in other parts of the world. The butterfly has spread to Hispaniola island in the Western Hemisphere, and to Mahé, Seychelles.
Zizina otis, the lesser grass blue, is a species of blue (Lycaenidae) butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. The lesser grass blue is often misidentified as Zizina labradus, the common grass blue.
The queen butterfly is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae with a wingspan of 80–85 mm. It is orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on its dorsal wing surface, and reddish ventral wing surface fairly similar to the dorsal surface. The ventral hindwings have black veins and small white spots in a black border. The male has a black androconial scent patch on its dorsal hindwings. It can be found in meadows, fields, marshes, deserts, and at the edges of forests.
Ornithoptera euphorion, the Cairns birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly endemic to Queensland, and is Australia's largest endemic butterfly species. Other common names include Cooktown birdwing and northern birdwing. The names Cairns and Cooktown in its common name reference the Australian cities in the region where this butterfly is found.
Papilio aegeus, the orchard swallowtail butterfly or large citrus butterfly is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Geitoneura klugii, the common xenica or Klug's xenica, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It is a southern Australian butterfly that is easily camouflaged because of its resemblance to the ground where it is usually found fluttering. It has a wingspan of about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). The upper and lower side of the forewing is black with brownish-black markings and contains a black spot with a white centre. The orange hindwing is set off by a black border and a black-rimmed eyespot. The underside of the hindwing ranges from grey to brown and consists of darker markings.
The Australian painted lady is a species of butterfly mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. Debate surrounds the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian painted lady should be a subspecies of the painted lady due to the similarity in lifestyle and behaviour. Furthermore, the painted lady is found around the globe, but Australia is the only location in which it varies enough to be considered a separate species.
Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia.
Zizeeria, commonly called grass blues, is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, found in Africa and Asia.
Zizina is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies (Lycaenidae) in the subfamily Polyommatinae.
Cressida cressida, the clearwing swallowtail or big greasy, is a Troidine swallowtail butterfly found in northern Australia, New Guinea, Maluku, and Timor. It is in the monotypic genus Cressida.
Indigofera australis, the Australian indigo or Austral indigo, is an attractive species of leguminous shrub in the genus Indigofera. The genus name Indigofera is Neo-Latin for "bearing Indigo". The specific epithet australis, from the Latin, means not “Australian” but "southern", referring to the geographical distribution of the species.
Sevenia boisduvali, the Boisduval's tree nymph, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. There are four subspecies; all native to Africa.
Zizina antanossa, the dark grass blue or clover blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in all of Africa, including Madagascar and Réunion.
Candalides absimilis, the pencilled blue or common pencil-blue, is a species of butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found along the east coast of Australia, including Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.
Heteronympha cordace, the bright-eyed brown, is a brown colored butterfly endemic to Australia. It was described by Carl Geyer in 1832.
