Jalmenus ictinus
Encyclopedia
The Ictinus Blue is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in the Australian Capital Territory
, New South Wales
, Queensland
and Victoria
.
The wingspan
is about 30 mm.
The larvae feed on a various Acacia
species, including Acacia bidwillii, Acacia dealbata
, Acacia decurrens
, Acacia harpophylla
, Acacia implexa
, Acacia mearnsii, Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia pendula
and Acacia rubida, as well as Heterodendrum diversifolium.
The Caterpillars are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex purpureus and Iridomyrmex spadius.
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 the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
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 various Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
species, including Acacia bidwillii, 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 decurrens
Acacia decurrens
Acacia decurrens is a perennial tree or shrub native to eastern New South Wales...
, 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 implexa
Acacia implexa
Acacia implexa is an Australian Acacia, used for furniture making. Its common name is Lightwood....
, Acacia mearnsii, Acacia melanoxylon, 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....
and Acacia rubida, as well as Heterodendrum diversifolium.
The Caterpillars are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex purpureus and Iridomyrmex spadius.