Arhopala micale

Arhopala micale
	A. m. amtyis From the Courvoisier Collection, Basel, Switzerland
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Arhopala
Species:	A. micale
Binomial name
	Arhopala micale; Blanchard, 1853
Synonyms
	Arhopala amphis Waterhouse, 1942; Amblypodia amytis Hewitson, 1862; Amblypodia cyronthe Miskin, 1890; Arhopala amydon Waterhouse, 1942; Arhopala tebaensis Strand, 1913;

Arhopala micale, the common oakblue or shining oakblue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species comprises about 16 subspecies, which are found in Melanesia and New Guinea as well as the north coast of Australia (see subspecies section).^[1]

The wingspan is about 40 mm.It is above very similar to A.sophrosyne, on the whole perhaps somewhat more ultra-marine, and the forewing in the costal area somewhat more violettish-blue. The under surface lacks the intense brightening in the distal part of all the wings; the spots are larger, more irregular and in the hindwing.— superba Rob. is beneath in both sexes browner, in the female above the black margin of the wings is broader and more sharply defined^[2]

The larvae feed on Buchanania arborescens, Cordia dichotoma, Calophyllum inophyllum, Terminalia muelleri, Glochidion ferdinandi, Cryptocarya hypospodia, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Acmena, Cupaniopsis anacardioides, Heritiera littoralis and Oxera splendida. They are attended by the ant species Oecophylla smaragdina.

Subspecies

A. m. micale (southern New Guinea to Papua, Manam Island, Fergusson Island, Yule Island)
A. m. amphis (Australia, from Cooktown to Yeppoon)
A. m. amytis (Thursday Island, Cape York)
A. m. amydon (Groote Eylandt, Murray Island, Darwin)
A. m. superba (Bachan, Halmahera, Morotai, Ternate)
A. m. obina (Obi)
A. m. acerba (Goram)
A. m. leptines (Kai Island)
A. m. ribbei (Aru)
A. m. selymbria (Waigeu)
A. m. bosnika (Biak)
A. m. jona (Mioswar, Jobi, Noemfoor Island)
A. m. novaeguineae (western West Irian)
A. m. centra (northern New Guinea, north-eastern New Guinea, Karkar Island)
A. m. cidona (Trobriand Island, Woodlark)
A. m. riuna (Riu, Tagula, Yela, St. Aignan Island)

Arhopala micale ribbei
Arhopala micale superba

References

^ D'Abrera, B. 1977. Butterflies of the Australian Region, edn 2. 415 pp. Lansdowne, Melbourne.
^ Seitz , A. Band 9: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die indo-australischen Tagfalter, 1927, 1197 Seiten 177 Tafeln This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

Australian Insects

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[1] D'Abrera, B. 1977. Butterflies of the Australian Region, edn 2. 415 pp. Lansdowne, Melbourne.

[2] Seitz , A. Band 9: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die indo-australischen Tagfalter, 1927, 1197 Seiten 177 Tafeln This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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