Glistening Pencil-blue Candalides absimilis
Wingspan: 30 - 31mm
Note: There was a 'common name' change from PENCILLED to PENCIL for 5 Blues in the 2nd Edition of Michael F. Braby's 'The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia 2016.
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Feb
There are three subspecies;
Candalides absimilis absimilis is found from Cape Flattery, CYP (40k northof Cooktown) south to NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis edwardsi found only in NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis eastwoodi is found in QLD in far north CYP from Olive River to Rocky River.
Distribution: From Cape Flattery, CYP, FNQ south to NE Victoria.
Status Claire Cottage: rare.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be rare.
Sighted: Dec 2001, Nov 2018, Dec 2019
(note Oct 2017: in view of Trevor Lambkin's identification note shown under the Dark Pencil-blue, as it relates to our 800 metre elevation here, there remains some doubt as to which Pencil-blue we sighted here at Claire Cottage in 2001. There is considerable difficulty identifying these two butterfly species (the Dark and Glistening) from photographs).
Wingspan: 30 - 31mm
Note: There was a 'common name' change from PENCILLED to PENCIL for 5 Blues in the 2nd Edition of Michael F. Braby's 'The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia 2016.
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Feb
There are three subspecies;
Candalides absimilis absimilis is found from Cape Flattery, CYP (40k northof Cooktown) south to NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis edwardsi found only in NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis eastwoodi is found in QLD in far north CYP from Olive River to Rocky River.
Distribution: From Cape Flattery, CYP, FNQ south to NE Victoria.
Status Claire Cottage: rare.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be rare.
Sighted: Dec 2001, Nov 2018, Dec 2019
(note Oct 2017: in view of Trevor Lambkin's identification note shown under the Dark Pencil-blue, as it relates to our 800 metre elevation here, there remains some doubt as to which Pencil-blue we sighted here at Claire Cottage in 2001. There is considerable difficulty identifying these two butterfly species (the Dark and Glistening) from photographs).
Glistening Pencil-blue, Candalides absimilis, Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, Nov 2018
Glistening Pencil-blue, Candalides absimilis, Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, Nov 2018
Glistening Pencil-blue at Urunga August 2013
Glistening Pencil-blue,Candalides absilimis, Dorrigo NSW, Dec 2019
|
The butterflies were flying 5-6m high on rainforest edge. Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, Dec 2019
|
Glistening Pencil-blue egg laid on a stem of Wisteria, Dorrigo, 1 Nov 2019
|
Early instar larva on a new Wisteria leaflet, Dorrigo, 1 Nov 2019
|
Showing how small a newly hatched larva is, Dorrigo, 1 Nov 2019
|
A later instar larva showing its eating from the middle of the leaf. Dorrigo, 10 Nov 2019
|
Final instar larva, 23 Nov 2019
|
The larva (pre-pupa) has changed colour and sits underneath the leaf, 25 Nov 2019
|
Pupa showing the discarded larval skin at the end, 27 Nov 2019
Glistening Pencil-blue Candalides absimilis
Wingspan: 30 - 31mm
Note: There was a 'common name' change from PENCILLED to PENCIL for 5 Blues in the 2nd Edition of Michael F. Braby's 'The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia 2016.
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Feb
There are three subspecies;
Candalides absimilis absimilis is found from Cape Flattery, CYP (40k northof Cooktown) south to NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis edwardsi found only in NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis eastwoodi is found in QLD in far north CYP from Olive River to Rocky River.
Distribution: From Cape Flattery, CYP, FNQ south to NE Victoria.
Status Claire Cottage: rare.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be rare.
(note Oct 2017: in view of Trevor Lambkin's identification note shown under the Dark Pencil-blue, as it relates to our 800 metre elevation here, there remains some doubt as to which Pencil-blue we sighted here at Claire Cottage in 2001. There is considerable difficulty identifying these two butterfly species (the Dark and Glistening) from photographs).
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings: (Note: Larvae not attended by ants).
Larval Food Plants:
Larval Feeding:
Larva only eat immature soft leaves & flower buds of many rainforest trees and vines as listed above.
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to March
Habitat: Rainforest edge - subtropical and warm temperate RF.
Larvae usually not attended by ants.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Thought to be mid morning to mid afternoon.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/2016
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/2016
Wingspan: 30 - 31mm
Note: There was a 'common name' change from PENCILLED to PENCIL for 5 Blues in the 2nd Edition of Michael F. Braby's 'The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia 2016.
Sighted Claire Cottage: Nov - Feb
There are three subspecies;
Candalides absimilis absimilis is found from Cape Flattery, CYP (40k northof Cooktown) south to NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis edwardsi found only in NE Victoria.
Candalides absimilis eastwoodi is found in QLD in far north CYP from Olive River to Rocky River.
Distribution: From Cape Flattery, CYP, FNQ south to NE Victoria.
Status Claire Cottage: rare.
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be rare.
(note Oct 2017: in view of Trevor Lambkin's identification note shown under the Dark Pencil-blue, as it relates to our 800 metre elevation here, there remains some doubt as to which Pencil-blue we sighted here at Claire Cottage in 2001. There is considerable difficulty identifying these two butterfly species (the Dark and Glistening) from photographs).
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Nov 2018, Dec 2001, 2019,
- Elsewhere on the DORRIGO PLATEAU: Dorrigo, Library Grounds Nov 2019
- ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larva Sightings: (Note: Larvae not attended by ants).
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- Elsewhere on the DORRIGO PLATEAU: Dorrigo Library Grounds
- ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: CAESALPINIACEAE: Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust). FABACEAE: Castanosermum australe (Black Bean), Callerya megasperma (Native Wisteria), *Wisteria sinensis (Wisteria). PROTEACEAE: Macadamia integrifolia (Queensland nut). SAPINDACEAE: Alectryon coriaceus (Beach Alectryon), Atalaya salicifolia, Harpullia hillii, *Koelreuteria elegans (Golden Rain Tree). STERCULIACEAE: Brachychiton acerifolius (Flame tree), Brachychiton populneus (Kurrajong)
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: CAESALPINIACEAE: *Cassia fistula, FABACEAE: - Erythrina sp., Pongamia pinnata (Pongam) : FLAGELLARIACEAE: Flagellaria indica (Whip Vine), SAPINDACEAE: Cupaniopsis anarcardioides (Tuckeroo).
Larval Feeding:
Larva only eat immature soft leaves & flower buds of many rainforest trees and vines as listed above.
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to March
Habitat: Rainforest edge - subtropical and warm temperate RF.
Larvae usually not attended by ants.
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Rainforest edge
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Thought to be mid morning to mid afternoon.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 27/11/2016
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: 21/02/2016
