Butterfly of the Month - July 2024

The Satin or Amaryllis Azure (Ogyris amaryllis amaryllis) belongs to the Lycanidae family. It has a wingspan of 34mm.

The upper side of the wings and their strong iridescent blue colour make this butterfly stand out. This colour is offset by a wide black band at the termen on the forewing,  and a narrow one in the hindwing. The male and female butterflies have the same colouring, however, black veins are visible in the iridescent blue of the female, and – as our images show - the black margins of the female’s wings are substantially wider .

The wing undersides differ substantially. The base colour for both genders’ forewings show a greyish-brown tone with the middle section being of a very dark brown interrupted by white bars. In the female, two red spots appear near the base of the forewing. The hindwings of male and female butterfly are adorned with irregular greyish-brown or brown markings or bands, framed by slim dark brown lines.

The butterfly begins its life cycle as a tiny 1mm wide cream coloured egg, shaped in the form of a mandarin. The egg surface is covered in a pattern of decorative hexagonal indentations. Upon hatching, the larva’s first instar shows a light greenish colour turning to a pinkish brown in later instar stages. The brown pupa is smooth.

Ogyris amaryllis amaryllis is found in Brisbane and along the SE Australian coastal band. Its habitat depends entirely on the presence of food plants.  Larvae feed at night on the Needle-leaf Mistletoe (Amyema cambagei) grows on Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) and River She-oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana). Different species of ants occasionally attend the immature stages of the butterfly.  

Images:

CM - Cliff Meyer; DM - Deborah Metters; RM - Robert (Bob) Miller; TB - Todd Burrows