Arhopala centaurus

Arhopala centaurus (Fabricius, 1775)
(one synonym : Narathura eupolis)
Dull Oakblue
ARHOPALINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

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

(updated 2 July 2008)

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

These caterpillars are green with a brownish dorso-lateral lines and markings. The caterpillars are unusual in that they make noises. They are able to make clicking sounds.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

They live in a silk shelter between curled leaves of a food plant. They feed on a variety of plants, including :

Green Plum ( Buchanania obovata, ANACARDIACEAE ),

Parinari ( Maranthes corymbosa, CHRYSOBALANACEAE ),

False Almond ( Terminalia catappa, COMBRETACEAE ),

Long Flowered Mistletoe ( Dendrophthoe vitellina, LORANTHACEAE ),

Queens Flower ( Lagerstroemia speciosa, LYTHRACEAE )

various species of Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ), and

Carrotwood ( Cupaniopsis anacardioides, SAPINDACEAE ),

and they are attended by the green ants :

Citrus Ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina, FORMICINAE ),

and grow to a length of about 2.5 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

They pupate in their larval shelter. The pupa is green with brown markings. Its length is about 2 cms. The pupae also are able to make clicking noises.

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

The adult butterflies are far from dull The males are a brilliant metallic purple, and the females a brilliant blue.

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

The hind wings each have a little tail. The females have a black border around each fore wing. The butterflies have a wing span of about 4 cms.

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

Underneath, the butterflies are cream and fawn, with arcs of brown markings outlined in white. There is a small black eyespot at the rear tip of each hind wing.

Female, undeside
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The eggs are laid in groups of one to three on twigs of a foodplant bearing a nest of their attending ant species. The eggs are pale greyish-green and are flattened spheres, with a diameter of about 0.7 cms. The surface is minutely pitted.

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

The species is found over much of Indonesia, and in the Solomon Islands, as well as in New Guinea and Australia. In Australia, it occurs as two sub-species :

asopus in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and

centaurus along the east coast from Cape York to Melbourne.

( Australia Post, 1998)