''Arhopala micale'', the common oakblue or shining oakblue, is a butterfly of the family
Lycaenidae. The species comprises about 16 subspecies, which are found in
Melanesia and
New Guinea as well as the north coast of
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 ...
(see subspecies section).
The
wingspan is about 40 mm.
The larvae feed on ''
Buchanania arborescens
''Buchanania arborescens'', commonly known as little gooseberry tree or sparrow's mango, is a small and slender tree native to seasonal tropical forests of northern Australia, south-east Asia, and the Solomon Islands.
The leaves are spirally ar ...
'', ''
Cordia dichotoma'', ''
Calophyllum inophyllum'', ''
Terminalia muelleri'', ''
Glochidion ferdinandi'', ''
Cryptocarya hypospodia'', ''
Lagerstroemia speciosa'', ''
Hibiscus tiliaceus'', ''
Acmena'', ''
Cupaniopsis anacardioides'', ''
Heritiera littoralis'' and ''
Oxera splendida''. They are attended by the ant species ''
Oecophylla smaragdina''. When not feeding, the larvae rest in a curled leaf or the entrance to the ants' nest.
Subspecies
* ''A. m. micale'' (southern New Guinea to Papua, Manam Island, Fergusson Island, Yule Island)
* ''A. m. amphis'' (Australia, from Cooktown to Yeppoon)
* ''A. m. amytis'' (Thursday Island, Cape York)
* ''A. m. amydon'' (Groote Eylandt, Murray Island, Darwin)
* ''A. m. superba'' (Bachan, Halmahera, Morotai, Ternate)
* ''A. m. obina'' (Obi)
* ''A. m. acerba'' (Goram)
* ''A. m. leptines'' (Kai Island)
* ''A. m. ribbei'' (Aru)
* ''A. m. selymbria'' (Waigeu)
* ''A. m. bosnika'' (Biak)
* ''A. m. jona'' (Mioswar, Jobi, Noemfoor Island)
* ''A. m. novaeguineae'' (western West Irian)
* ''A. m. centra'' (northern New Guinea, north-eastern New Guinea, Karkar Island)
* ''A. m. cidona'' (Trobriand Island, Woodlark)
* ''A. m. riuna'' (Riu, Tagula, Yela, St. Aignan Island)
RibbeiMUpUn 628 629 AC1.jpg , ''Arhopala micale ribbei''
External links
Australian Insects
Arhopala
Butterflies of Oceania
Butterflies described in 1853
Taxa named by Émile Blanchard
{{Theclinae-stub