Australian insectsFroggatt, Walter W. (Walter Wilson)
Science
Australian insects
Froggatt, Walter W. (Walter Wilson)
Insects -- Australia
_Lucia lucanus_, one of the smaller forms, has all the upper surface of
a dull ochreous tint, with the centres of the fore wings pale yellow. A
fine fringe of hair-like scales of alternate tufts of black and white
gives it a delicate pencilled appearance; the under surface is mottled
and brownish, the white of the fore wings showing through. It has a
wide range from South Australia to Mackay, Queensland, and is common
about Sydney. _L. pyrodiscus_ has the upper surface black, with the
centre of the fore wings and the greater part of the hind ones dull
red. The whole of the under surface is purplish and finely marbled with
a very fine tail on the outer edge of the hind pair. It ranges from
Victoria to N. Queensland.
The Genus _Ogyris_ contains eleven species, most of which are recorded
from the southern portion of Australia. _Ogyris abrota_ has the upper
surface dark brown with a patch of pale metallic green in the centre
of each fore wing; the hind pair are all brown and scalloped along the
edges; the under side is pale creamy white mottled with wavy lines. The
larva feeds upon the foliage of _Loranthus_; it measures about an inch
in length; is of a uniform dark yellowish brown, with the upper surface
rough, clothed with fine bristles; they feed at night, and pupate in
the usual manner of all members of this family.
The Genus _Ialmenus_ contains eight species, among them several of our
best known “Blues”: _Ialmenus evagorus_ ranges from South Australia
into Southern Queensland, and was figured by Donovan in his “Insects
of New Holland” in 1805. It is described by Olliff under the name of
the “Imperial Blue,” but I would suggest that the “Black-wattle Blue”
would be a much more distinctive name, for all along the coast the
short, dull green, slug-like grubs may be met with, congregated in
little groups clinging to the twigs of this wattle. Hundreds of ants
are always swarming over them attracted by the secretion they discharge
from glands on the back.
[Illustration: =Figs. 107= and =108=.--Wattle
Butterflies.
107. _Ialmenus ictinus_ (Hewitson).
The Inland Wattle Butterfly.
108. _Ialmenus evagorus_ (Donovan).
The Coastal Wattle Butterfly.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account