Theclinesthes miskini, the wattle blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Australia and New Guinea.[2]
| Theclinesthes miskini | |
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| Dorsal view | |
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| Ventral view | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Theclinesthes |
| Species: | T. miskini
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| Binomial name | |
| Theclinesthes miskini (T. P. Lucas, 1889)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe wingspan is about 20 mm.
The larvae are dark green or brown with a dark dorsal band and pale diagonal streaks.
Ecology
editThe larvae generally feed on plants in the family Fabaceae including Paraserianthes lophantha, Sesbania cannabina, Acacia anceps, A. auriculiformis, A. flavescens, A. pycnantha, A. salicina, A. saligna, A. tetragonophylla, A. harpophylla, A. holosericea, A. neriifolia and A. victoriae, but also on Alectryon diversifolius, Atalaya variifolia, Hakea vittata and Eucalyptus polycarpa. Young seedlings are preferred to older foliage.
Larvae are occasionally attended by various black or green ants in the genera Iridomyrmex, Ochetellus, Calomyrmex, Camponotus, Notoncus, Paratrechina or Polyrhachis.[3]
Subspecies
edit- Theclinesthes miskini miskini (Australia: Cairns to Moruya, Northern Territory)
- Theclinesthes miskini arnoldi (Fruhstorfer, 1916) (Cape York, Bismarck Archipelago)
- Theclinesthes miskini eucalypti Sibatani & Grund, 1978 (Queensland)
References
edit- ^ Savela, Markku (27 September 2016). "Theclinesthes miskini (Lucas, 1889)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ Herbison-Evans, Don & Crossley, Stella (23 November 2013). "Theclinesthes miskini (T.P. Lucas, 1889) Wattle Blue". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ Braby, Michael F. (2004). The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0643090274.