Jalmenus eubulus (Pale Imperial Hairstreak)

Synonyms

This butterfly was previously classified as Jalmenus evagoras eubulus, a subspecies of the Imperial Hairstreak, but was elevated to species status.

Other Common Name

Pale Imperial Blue

Notes

It was a real treat to see this species at Jondaryan in Queensland. I was wondering how similar it would be to J. evagoras, since this species was previously listed as a subspecies of evagoras. From what I saw, the underside looks similar, though less strongly marked than evagoras whilst the upperside looks almost a metallic white colour when the butterfly is flying in the sunshine. The butterflies behaved differently too; instead of a number of adults hanging around one or two host shrubs, they were flying around amongst the trees, settling rarely and usually not for long. They also only appeared to lay a small number of eggs on any one host plant, as there were far fewer larvae and pupae visible than I’d have expected to see with evagoras.

Sightings

Jondaryan, Qld – April 2011

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