''Hypochrysops delicia'', the moonlight jewel, is a member 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 in
eastern Australia.
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 40 mm.
The larvae feed on ''
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
'' species, including ''
A. binervia'', ''
A. dealbata'', ''
A. flavescens'', ''
A. implexa'', ''
A. irrorata'', ''
A. leiocalyx'', ''
A. mearnsii'', ''
A. melanoxylon'', ''
A. parramattensis'', ''
A. pycnantha'' and ''
A. spectabilis''. It is usually attended by ''
Crematogaster'' species.
Subspecies
*''H. d. delicia'' -
Hewitson, 1875 (southern
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_ ...
to central
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 ...
)
*''H. d. delos'' -
Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 (southern New South Wales to
Victoria)
*''H. d. duaringae'' -
Waterhouse, 1903 (central Queensland)
*''H. d. regina'' -
Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1895 (Moluccas)
References
Luciini
Butterflies described in 1875
Butterflies of Australia
Taxa named by William Chapman Hewitson
{{Theclinae-stub