''Candalides absimilis'', the pencilled blue or common pencil-blue, is a species of
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
of the family
Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...
. It is found along the east coast of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, including
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
Victoria.
The
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...
is about 30 mm. Adult males are grey blue, while females are brown on top with a large white patch on each wing and a purple sheen near the hinges. The underside of both sexes is white with rows of fawn
carets.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on buds and young shoots of a wide range of plants, including ''
Flagellaria'', ''
Macadamia integrifolia'', ''
Castanospermum australe
''Castanospermum australe'' (Moreton Bay chestnut or blackbean), the only species in the genus ''Castanospermum'', is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the ...
'', ''
Erythrina
''Erythrina'' is a genus of plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, with the larger species growing up to in height. The generic na ...
'', ''
Callerya megasperma
''Austrocallerya megasperma'', one of several species commonly known as native wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a woody climber with pinnate leaves and racemes of purple ...
'', ''
Wisteria'', ''
Cassia fistula'', ''
Alectryon coriaceus'', ''
Brachychiton acerifolius
''Brachychiton acerifolius'' is a large tree of the family Malvaceae endemic to tropical and subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is famous for the bright red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is le ...
'' and ''
Cupaniopsis''. They are green with a dark dorsal line and diagonal white marks along the sides and a brown head. Pupation takes place in a brown pupa with a length of about 15 mm.
Image:Candalides_absimilis_egg_dorsal.jpg, Egg
Image:Candalides_absimilis_edwardsi_caterpillar.jpg, Larva
Image:Candalides absimilis edwardsi pupa.jpg, Pupa
Image:Candalides_absimilis_edwardsi_female2.jpg, Female resting
Image:Candalides_absimilis_(ento-csiro-au).jpg, Illustration of a mounted specimen
References
Candalidini
Butterflies described in 1862
{{Polyommatinae-stub