''Ogyris amaryllis'', the amaryllis azure or satin azure, is a
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 ...
in 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
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 ...
.
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 35 mm. The upper surface of the wings is iridescent blue with black margins.
The larvae feed on ''
Amyema'' species, including ''
A. bifurcata'', ''
A. cambagei'', ''
A. congener'', ''
A. fitzgeraldii'', ''
A. linophyllum'', ''
A. lucasii'', ''
A. mackayensis'', ''
A. maidenii'', ''
A. melaleucae'', ''
A. miquelii'', ''
A. miraculosum'', ''
A. pendula'', ''
A. preissii'', ''
A. quandang'', ''
A. sanguinea'' and ''
A. thalassium''. Young larvae are green. Later, they become brown with diagonal markings. They are attended by various species of ants.
Australian Insects
/ref>
Subspecies
* ''O. a. amaryllis'' (New South Wales: Brisbane to Tuggerah)
* ''O. a. amata'' Waterhouse, 1934 (Canberra area)
* ''O. a. hewitsoni'' (Waterhouse, 1902) (Cairns to Maryborough)
* ''O. a. meridionalis'' Bethune-Baker, 1905 (eastern Australia and Western Australia)
* ''O. a. parsonsis'' Angel, 1951 (central Australia)
Image gallery
Ogyris amaryllis - butterfly.jpg, Ogyris amaryllis on a Melaleuca teretifolia stem - 2008
File:Ogyris amaryllis female (15300119874).jpg, Ogyris amaryllis on Pittosporum angustifolium -Living Desert State Park, Broken Hill, Australia - 2014
File:Ogyris amaryllis male (15735054100).jpg, Ogyris amaryllis on Pittosporum angustifolium - Living Desert State Park, Broken Hill, Australia - 2014
References
Butterflies described in 1862
Arhopalini
{{Theclinae-stub