Pseudalmenus Chlorinda Myrsilus on:
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The silky hairstreak or chlorinda hairstreak (''Pseudalmenus chlorinda'') is a butterfly belonging to the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by
The adult silky hairstreak has a wingspan of 28 mm. The male and female are similar, with the wings of the female slightly more rounded. The wings are black or brown on top with yellow-orange patches. The lower wings have orange patches and black tails with white edges. The underside of the wings is yellow grey with black and orange markings. The eggs are pale green with a diameter about 1 mm. They are usually laid in small groups on the twigs of a food plant.
The caterpillars grow to a length of around 3 cm. They have a black head and a brown, red, black and yellow body. The larvae of the silky hairstreak secrete substances that attract ''
Emile Blanchard
Emil or Emile may refer to:
Literature
*''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
* ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life
*''Emil and the Detective ...
in 1848. It occurs 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 ...
. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Pseudalmenus'', described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1902.
Taxonomy
Subspecies include: * ''P. c. chlorinda'' is found in Tasmania. * ''P. c. myrsilus'' is found in a restricted area of south-east Tasmania. It is classified as rare under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. * ''P. c. zephyrus'' is found in eastern Victoria * ''P. c. fisheri'' is found in the Grampians National Park, Victoria * ''P. c. chloris'' is found around Katoomba and Mittagong, New South Wales * ''P. c. barringtonensis'' is found in the area of Barrington Tops, New South WalesDescription
The adult silky hairstreak has a wingspan of 28 mm. The male and female are similar, with the wings of the female slightly more rounded. The wings are black or brown on top with yellow-orange patches. The lower wings have orange patches and black tails with white edges. The underside of the wings is yellow grey with black and orange markings. The eggs are pale green with a diameter about 1 mm. They are usually laid in small groups on the twigs of a food plant.
The caterpillars grow to a length of around 3 cm. They have a black head and a brown, red, black and yellow body. The larvae of the silky hairstreak secrete substances that attract ''Anonychomyrma biconvexa
''Anonychomyrma biconvexa'' is a species of ant in the genus ''Anonychomyrma''. Described by Santschi in 1928, the species is endemic to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign co ...
'' ants.
Distribution and habitat
It is found in south-easternAustralia
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 New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. The species only occurs where the attendant ant species is found, and the larval food plant grows.
The caterpillars feed on 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 the '' A. dealbata'', '' A. decurrens'', '' A. elata'', '' A. mearnsii'', '' A. melanoxylon'', '' A. obtusata'', '' A. pravissima'', '' A. terminalis'' and the '' A. trachyphloia''.
See also
* Papilionidae *List of butterflies of Tasmania
Tasmania is located south of the mainland of Australia, separated from the state of Victoria by the 240 km wide Bass Strait. Although Tasmania shares most of its fauna with the southern parts of Australia or Australia as a whole, Tasmania's ...
References
External links
{{Taxonbar , from=Q3409552 Theclinae Taxa named by Émile Blanchard Butterflies described in 1848 Butterflies of Australia