Jun/July 2005 - Barung Landcare

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Small green-banded blue
(Psychonotis caelius taygetus)
BUTTERFLIES OF THE RANGE by Bob Miller
I have often referred to butterflies as being the jewels of the insect world,
and one butterfly that certainly fits that description is the small greenbanded
blue. The metallic scales on both the upper and undersides of the
adults flash in the sunlight as these butterflies fly slowly around with no
apparent urgency to go anywhere.
If you have ever seen a small blue butterfly flying around an Alphitonia
excelsa or Alphitonia petriei, the chances are it was a small green-banded
blue. This is because these are the plants that the small green-banded blue
lays its eggs upon and upon which its larvae feed.
The eggs are white, shaped like a mandarin and are usually laid singly on
the underside of the leaves of alphitonias.
The larvae feed on leaves and can be found on the undersides of those
leaves displaying the irregular holes typical of their feeding pattern. For
such a common butterfly, the larvae are not easily found and a lot of
searching is required to turn up just one larvae. The colour of the
larvae bears a striking resemblance to the underside of the leaves,
being light green with a lighter stripe running down the centre of their
back, looking not unlike the leaf veins. The perfect camouflage for an
animal with so many predators.
The pupae are caramel in colour with darker brown markings. They
are also found on the undersides of the leaves and are attached by the
tail and a central silken girdle.
The adult male butterfly is about 30 mm from wingtip to wingtip.
They are brilliant blue on the upperside with a narrow black edge on
its outer wings and a white patch on the hindwings. The adult female
butterfly is slightly larger than the male. The uppersides are black
with a white centre and a generous profusion of metallic blue-green scales.
The undersides of both sexes are the same, being black with a white centre
and a narrow band of metallic blue-green scales on the forewings and with
a slightly broader metallic blue-green lower edge encircling six black spots.
Further information on this butterfly may be obtained in Butterflies of
Australia by Michael F. Braby, 2000.
Top: Small green-banded blue female from above.
Middle: pupa. Bottom left: Underside of adult male.
Bottom right: larvae next to leaf midrib.
All photographs by Bob Miller.
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