Imperial Hairstreak (Common Imperial Blue) Jalmenus evagoras
Wingspan: 32 - 37mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to May
Distribution: Central QLD, NSW, ACT to Central VIC
Status Claire Cottage: Very common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Wingspan: 32 - 37mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to May
Distribution: Central QLD, NSW, ACT to Central VIC
Status Claire Cottage: Very common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Our regeneration paddock is perfect habitat for the Imperial Hairstreak butterflies where some of the trees are still quite small. It seems they prefer to lay their eggs in batches on young wattle trees up to about two metres high.
Early one evening there were twenty-four newly hatched butterflies grouped together roosting on a small acacia tree.
These butterflies generally fly around the paddock area, occasionally visiting nectar flowers in the garden.
In January 2016 we watched a female laying eggs in a crevice of an Acacia branch (see pictures below). We were interested to note that there were no ants on the tree at that time. The following day a few ants were moving about the tree. None were showing interest in the batch of eggs.
The caterpillars are attended by black ants that protect them from birds and parasitic wasps. In return the ants 'milk' the caterpillars for a honey dew like substance. They often appear as black lumps in the trees as the ants can completely cover the caterpillars and pupae as in the pictures below.
Imperial Hairstreak (Common Imperial Blue) Jalmenus evagoras
Wingspan: 32 - 37mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to May
Distribution: Central QLD, NSW, ACT to Central VIC
Status Claire Cottage: Very Common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Butterfly Sightings: CLAIRE COTTAGE:
Larval Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: self seeding juvenile Acacia trees to about 3 metres high
Flight habit: Throughout the day usually homing in on one tree with larva and ants already established. Periodically adults will sit in the tree near where pupa are being protected by hordes of ants.
Dec 2021 Unexpected change: the small Acacia tree (we keep it pruned) growing close to our cottage has had many larvae feeding on it in recent years. Recently it appears to have lost its larva and has no butterflies visible. For a while there were no ants visible too. However I have just (20/12/21) noticed some are back controlling tiny 1st instar larva. We think with no larva feeding for the last 4-6 weeks it must be nature ensuring the tree has time for new growth (which had all been depleted) so new 1st instar larva can feed on young soft leaves. Not checking on the tree on a daily basis we have no exact idea of when these changes occurred. It is very pleasing to see that this small colony still appears to be thriving.
Wet summer 2021-2022: with a large percentage of wet or overcast days this summer we have noticed on wet days ants reduce activity and can often be seen thickly clustered sitting stationery on larva.
First sighting summer 2004 of an adult - November 6th
First sighting summer 2006 of an adult - November 12th
First sighting summer 2007 of an adult - October 27th (male)
First sighting summer 2008 of an adult - October 31st
First sighting summer 2009 of an adult - October 22nd
First sighting summer 2010 of an adult - December 8th (very wet Spring)
First sighting summer 2011 of an adult - November 25th
First sighting summer 2013 of an adult - October 29th
First sighting summer 2015 of an adult - November 12th
First sighting summer 2016 of an adult - November 13th
First sighting summer 2018 of an adult - November 18th - First sighting summer 2018 of larva - November 5th
First sighting summer 2019 of an adult - November 13th - First sighting summer 2019 of larva - November 13th
First sighting summer 2021 of an adult - November 1st - First sighting summer 2021 of larva - October 5th
Last sighting autumn 2007 of an adult - 11/04/07 - Last sighting autumn 2007 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2009 of an adult - 07/05/09 - Last sighting autumn 2009 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2011 of an adult - 05/05/11 - Last sighting autumn 2011 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2013 of an adult - 05/05/13 - Last sighting autumn 2013 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2016 of an adult - 05/05/16 - Last sighting autumn 2016 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2018 of an adult - 10/04/18 - Last sighting autumn 2018 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2019 of an adult - 11/05/19 - Last sighting autumn 2019 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2020 of an adult - 30/04/20 - Last sighting autumn 2020 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2021 of an adult - 00/05/21 - Last sighting autumn 2021 of larva - 00/05/21 -
Wingspan: 32 - 37mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: October to May
Distribution: Central QLD, NSW, ACT to Central VIC
Status Claire Cottage: Very Common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: common
Butterfly Sightings: CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Oct 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013,
- Nov 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021,
- Dec 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023,
- Jan 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,
- Feb 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024,
- Mar 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024,
- Apr 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020,
- May 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016
- No sightings here Oct 2022 to Mar 2023, our Acacia trees have all matured bar one.
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: Dorrigo in 1990's.
Larval Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Many sighted each warm season 2002-2022. Then numbers dropped dramatically as our Acacia trees matured - (only very young trees, coupled with the correct ant species, used by females for depositing eggs).
- Nov 2021,
- Dec 2021,
- Jan 2021, 2022,
- Feb 2021, 2022, 2024,
- Mar 2021, 2024,
- Apr 2021,
- May 2021,
- No sightings here Oct 2022 to Jan 2024, due to our Acacia trees having matured. One young tree located in 2024 with larva feeding on it.
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: FABACEAE: Young trees only Acacia melanoxylon
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: FABACEAE: as for Claire Cottage & many other species of young Acacia
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: self seeding juvenile Acacia trees to about 3 metres high
Flight habit: Throughout the day usually homing in on one tree with larva and ants already established. Periodically adults will sit in the tree near where pupa are being protected by hordes of ants.
Dec 2021 Unexpected change: the small Acacia tree (we keep it pruned) growing close to our cottage has had many larvae feeding on it in recent years. Recently it appears to have lost its larva and has no butterflies visible. For a while there were no ants visible too. However I have just (20/12/21) noticed some are back controlling tiny 1st instar larva. We think with no larva feeding for the last 4-6 weeks it must be nature ensuring the tree has time for new growth (which had all been depleted) so new 1st instar larva can feed on young soft leaves. Not checking on the tree on a daily basis we have no exact idea of when these changes occurred. It is very pleasing to see that this small colony still appears to be thriving.
Wet summer 2021-2022: with a large percentage of wet or overcast days this summer we have noticed on wet days ants reduce activity and can often be seen thickly clustered sitting stationery on larva.
First sighting summer 2004 of an adult - November 6th
First sighting summer 2006 of an adult - November 12th
First sighting summer 2007 of an adult - October 27th (male)
First sighting summer 2008 of an adult - October 31st
First sighting summer 2009 of an adult - October 22nd
First sighting summer 2010 of an adult - December 8th (very wet Spring)
First sighting summer 2011 of an adult - November 25th
First sighting summer 2013 of an adult - October 29th
First sighting summer 2015 of an adult - November 12th
First sighting summer 2016 of an adult - November 13th
First sighting summer 2018 of an adult - November 18th - First sighting summer 2018 of larva - November 5th
First sighting summer 2019 of an adult - November 13th - First sighting summer 2019 of larva - November 13th
First sighting summer 2021 of an adult - November 1st - First sighting summer 2021 of larva - October 5th
Last sighting autumn 2007 of an adult - 11/04/07 - Last sighting autumn 2007 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2009 of an adult - 07/05/09 - Last sighting autumn 2009 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2011 of an adult - 05/05/11 - Last sighting autumn 2011 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2013 of an adult - 05/05/13 - Last sighting autumn 2013 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2016 of an adult - 05/05/16 - Last sighting autumn 2016 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2018 of an adult - 10/04/18 - Last sighting autumn 2018 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2019 of an adult - 11/05/19 - Last sighting autumn 2019 of larva - -
Last sighting autumn 2020 of an adult - 30/04/20 - Last sighting autumn 2020 of larva -
Last sighting autumn 2021 of an adult - 00/05/21 - Last sighting autumn 2021 of larva - 00/05/21 -