Liphyra brassolis
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| iMoth Butterfly | ||||||||||||||||
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| Liphyra brassolis Westwood 1864 |
The Moth Butterfly (Liphyra brassolis) is a butterfly found in Asia and Australia that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family. The larvae are predatory and feed on ant larvae. This is one of the largest species of Lycaenid butterfly.
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[edit] Habits
Liphyra brassolis grows in ant nest especially of the tree ants (Oecophylla smaragdina and other species). The caterpillar has tiny antennae like structures whose function is not known.
The adult butterfly at emergence is covered in grey powdery scales which protect it from the ants.
Eggs are laid singly or in groups of about six, on the underside of branches of a tree with ants nest. The eggs are tiny pale green discs of 1 mm height.
[edit] Distribution
The species occurs from India to the Philippines, including the tropical coast of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland.
[edit] References
- Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
[edit] External links
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