Ogyris iphis

Ogyris iphis (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914)
Orange-tipped Azure
ARHOPALINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 18 June 2008)

Ogyris iphis
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

These Caterpillars are brown with dark bands along the body, and diagonal cream lines on each side of the top of each segment. The Caterpillars feed on Mistletoe ( LORANTHACEAE ), including :

Gum-leaf Mistletoe ( Amyema bifurcata ),

Box Mistletoe ( Amyena miquelii ),

Grey Mistletoe ( Amyena quandang ),

Long Flowered Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe vitellina ), and

Dendrophthoe glabrescens.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The Caterpillars feed nocturnally, hiding by day under loose bark They are attended by the small dark brown ants :

Froggatella kirbii ( DOLICHODERINAE ).

(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The pupa is brown with dark markings. It has a length of about 1.5 cms. It is formed under loose bark or a similar spot. It is unusual in that it sometimes makes clicking sounds.

female
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The butterflies are pale metallic blue on the upper surfaces with a narrow black edge to the costa and margin of each forewing. The female has an orange mark in each black forewing apex. The hindwings have a short broad tail. Underneath, the wings are brown with black markings edged in metallic green. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 3 cms.

The species is found as two subspecies :

iphis in Queensland, and

doddi in the Northern Territory.