Jalmenus icilius
Encyclopedia
The Icilius Blue or Amethyst Hairstreak (Jalmenus icilius) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in all mainland states of Australia
, throughout much of the subtropical areas of the inland, from the Selwyn Range and from Carnarvon to Kalgoorlie. It is generally common except in the south-eastern end of its range in central and western Victoria, where it is now very scarce.
The wingspan
is about 30 mm.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Cassia artemisioides, Cassia nemophila, Daviesia benthamii, Acacia acuminata, Acacia anceps, Acacia aneura, Acacia dealbata
, Acacia deanei
, Acacia harpophylla
, Acacia mearnsii, Acacia parramattensis
, Acacia pendula
, Acacia pycnantha, Acacia rubida, Acacia saligna
and Acacia victoriae
.
The Caterpillars are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex rufoniger.
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found in all mainland states of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, throughout much of the subtropical areas of the inland, from the Selwyn Range and from Carnarvon to Kalgoorlie. It is generally common except in the south-eastern end of its range in central and western Victoria, where it is now very scarce.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 30 mm.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Cassia artemisioides, Cassia nemophila, Daviesia benthamii, Acacia acuminata, Acacia anceps, Acacia aneura, Acacia dealbata
Acacia dealbata
Acacia dealbata is a species of Acacia, native to southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory.-Description:...
, Acacia deanei
Acacia deanei
Acacia deanei is a tree native to Australia, which is used for controlling erosion on. There are two subspecies: Acacia deanei subsp. deanei and Acacia deanei subsp. paucijuga.-External links:**...
, Acacia harpophylla
Acacia harpophylla
Acacia harpophylla, commonly known as the Brigalow , Brigalow Spearwood or Orkor is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found in central and coastal Queensland to northern New South Wales. It can reach up to 25 meters tall and forms extensive open-forest communities on clay soils.Two species,...
, Acacia mearnsii, Acacia parramattensis
Acacia parramattensis
Acacia parramattensis is the name given to a species in the genus Acacia whose distribution centres on the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales. It is a tall shrub or tree to about 15 m in height with finely divided bipinnate leaves.-External links:...
, Acacia pendula
Acacia pendula
Acacia pendula is a species of wattle which is native to Australia. It is a tree which grows up to 10 metres in height and is pendulous in form with grey green narrow phyllodes which are about 10 cm in length....
, Acacia pycnantha, Acacia rubida, Acacia saligna
Acacia saligna
Acacia saligna, commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle, blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, and, in Africa, Port Jackson willow, is a small tree in the family Fabaceae...
and Acacia victoriae
Acacia victoriae
Acacia victoriae commonly known as Gundabluie or Bardi bush is a shrub or tree native to Australia. It grows 2–5 m, sometimes 9 m tall. It has spines 2–12 mm in length.Subspecies:A. victoriae subsp. arida Pedley-Uses:...
.
The Caterpillars are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex rufoniger.