''Jalmenus eichhorni'', the northern hairstreak or northern imperial 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 endemic to
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_ ...
, Australia, including
Cape York.
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.
The larvae feed on a various ''
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. crassicarpa'', ''
A. leptocarpa'', ''
A. humifusa'' and ''
A. holosericea''.
The caterpillars are attended by the ant species ''
Iridomyrmex gracilis'', ''
Iridomyrmex reburrus'' and ''
Iridomyrmex sanguineus''.
External links
Australian InsectsAustralian Faunal Directory
Theclinae
Taxa named by Otto Staudinger
Taxa described in 1888
{{Theclinae-stub