''Candalides cyprotus'', the cyprotus blue or copper pencil-blue, is a species of
butterfly of the family
Lycaenidae. It is found along the east coast of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, including
South Australia,
New South Wales,
Western Australia and
Victoria.
The
wingspan is about 30 mm. Adults females are dark brown with a large blue patch near the centre of each forewing. Males are purple with a black trident mark near the centre of each forewing. The underside of both sexes is pale fawn with arcs of brown
carets and dots under both the forewings and hindwings.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on ''
Conospermum taxifolium'', ''
Grevillea huegelii
''Grevillea huegelii'', commonly known as comb spider-flower or comb grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with divided leaves wit ...
'', ''
Grevillea bracteosa'', ''
Grevillea juniperina'', ''
Hakea leucoptera'' and ''
Jacksonia scoparia
''Jacksonia scoparia'', commonly known as dogwood (from its strong odour when burning), is a native species of a pea-flowered, greyish, leafless, broom-like shrub or small tree that occurs in the south east of Queensland, Australia and eastern N ...
''. They are green with pink and blue tubercles. Pupation takes place in a black pupa with a length of about 13 mm. It is made in the debris at the foot of the host plant.
Subspecies
*''Candalides cyprotus cyprotus'' - cyprotus blue (New South Wales to Western Australia)
*''Candalides cyprotus pallescens''
(Tite, 1963) (southern Queensland)
References
Candalidini
Butterflies described in 1886
Butterflies of Australia
{{Polyommatinae-stub