Candalides hyacinthina

Candalides hyacinthina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Candalides
Species:	C. hyacinthina
Binomial name
Candalides hyacinthina (Semper, [1879])[1]
Synonyms
Holochila hyacinthina Semper, [1879] Polycyma cassythae Scott, 1890 Candalides cassythae Couchman, 1962 Cupipo simplexa Tepper, 1882 Polyommatus cyanites Meyrick, 1888

The Varied Dusky-blue (Candalides hyacinthina) is a species of butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found along the east coast of Australia, including South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria.^[2]

The wingspan is about 40 mm. Adults males have dark bronze wings. Females are also bronze, but have a substantial area with a blue sheen on each wing. The underside of both sexes is fawn with arcs of darker spots and two black spots under the tornus of each forewing.

The larvae have been recorded feeding on the young shoots of Cassytha melantha, Cassytha racemosa and Cassytha peninsularis. They are green with orange patches and are covered in sparse short white hairs. Pupation takes place in a mottled brown pupa with a length of about 13 mm.

Subspecies

• Candalides hyacinthina hyacinthina - Common Dusky Blue (southern Queensland to central Victoria, Grampians)
• Candalides hyacinthina simplexa (Tepper, 1882) - Western Dusky Blue (north-western Victoria, Southern Australia, Western Australia)
• Candalides hyacinthina eugenia Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 (Queensland (Port Stewart to Yeppoon))
• Candalides hyacinthina josephina Harris, 1952 (Stawell)

References

1. ^ Australian Faunal Directory
2. ^ lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com