''Jalmenus aridus'', the inland hairstreak or desert blue, is a butterfly 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 only known from the area near
Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...
in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, and is considered to be endangered species
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 25 mm.
The larvae feed on the leaves and flowers of ''
Senna nemophila'' and ''
Acacia tetragonophylla
''Acacia tetragonophylla'', commonly known as curara, kurara or dead finish, is a tree in the family Fabaceae that is endemic to arid and semi-arid parts of central and western Australia.
Description
Curara grows as a tall shrub or small tree ...
''.
The caterpillars are attended by the ant species ''
Froggattella kirbii
''Froggattella kirbii'', commonly known as the common froglet ant is a species of ant in the genus ''Froggattella''. The species is common in drier sclerophyll areas in various states of Australia.Shattuck, S. O. (1996). "The Australian ant genu ...
''.
External links
Australian InsectsAustralian Faunal Directory
References
Theclinae
Butterflies of Australia
Moths described in 1988
{{Theclinae-stub