Surendra vivarna amisena

Acacia Blue

Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Genus Surendra
Species: vivarna
Subspecies: amisena
Common Name: Acacia Blue
Life History: complete
Extant in countries: •Singapore
Hostplants:

Description
The male of the Acacia Blue is a deep shining purplish blue above, with a black apical border on the forewing and a broad black border on the hindwings. The female is steely blue with narrow diffuse black borders on both wings. The underside is hair brown with small and obscure spots and an irregular dark post-discal line on both wings. It has two tails, the one at vein 2 being the longer.

Habitat & Habits
The butterfly is moderately rare in Singapore, occurring only in the vicinity of where its host plant, Albizia falcata, is found. The caterpillar is well camouflaged usually hiding along the young shoots of the food plant where it is attended by the ant Anoplolepis longipes. This symbiotic existence is typical of many of the Lycaenidae, where the ants obtain "honey-dew" secretions from the caterpillar, in return for protection from predators.

Other Observations
To be detailed.

Early Stages
Refer to the ButterflyCircle blog article - The life history of the Acacia Blue.

Further Reading
To be detailed.

Early Stages Photos

Egg
Caterpillar
Pupa

Surendra vivarna amisena

Acacia Blue

Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Genus Surendra
Species: vivarna
Subspecies: amisena
Common Name: Acacia Blue
Life History: complete
Extant in countries: •Singapore
Hostplants:

Description
The male of the Acacia Blue is a deep shining purplish blue above, with a black apical border on the forewing and a broad black border on the hindwings. The female is steely blue with narrow diffuse black borders on both wings. The underside is hair brown with small and obscure spots and an irregular dark post-discal line on both wings. It has two tails, the one at vein 2 being the longer.

Habitat & Habits
The butterfly is moderately rare in Singapore, occurring only in the vicinity of where its host plant, Albizia falcata, is found. The caterpillar is well camouflaged usually hiding along the young shoots of the food plant where it is attended by the ant Anoplolepis longipes. This symbiotic existence is typical of many of the Lycaenidae, where the ants obtain "honey-dew" secretions from the caterpillar, in return for protection from predators.

Other Observations
To be detailed.

Early Stages
Refer to the ButterflyCircle blog article - The life history of the Acacia Blue.

Further Reading
To be detailed.

Early Stages Photos

Egg
Caterpillar
Pupa




Surendra vivarna amisena

Acacia Blue

Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Genus Surendra
Species: vivarna
Subspecies: amisena
Common Name: Acacia Blue
Life History: complete
Extant in countries: •Singapore
Hostplants:

Description
The male of the Acacia Blue is a deep shining purplish blue above, with a black apical border on the forewing and a broad black border on the hindwings. The female is steely blue with narrow diffuse black borders on both wings. The underside is hair brown with small and obscure spots and an irregular dark post-discal line on both wings. It has two tails, the one at vein 2 being the longer.

Habitat & Habits
The butterfly is moderately rare in Singapore, occurring only in the vicinity of where its host plant, Albizia falcata, is found. The caterpillar is well camouflaged usually hiding along the young shoots of the food plant where it is attended by the ant Anoplolepis longipes. This symbiotic existence is typical of many of the Lycaenidae, where the ants obtain "honey-dew" secretions from the caterpillar, in return for protection from predators.

Other Observations
To be detailed.

Early Stages
Refer to the ButterflyCircle blog article - The life history of the Acacia Blue.

Further Reading
To be detailed.

Early Stages Photos

Egg
Caterpillar
Pupa