The Caterpillars feed nocturnally, skeltonising the leaves. By day, they rest under a leaf.

     
(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

They pupate under a leaf. The pupa is green with a few orange markings and a brown dorsal patch. Its length is about 1 cm.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

On top, the adult male butterflies of this species have metallic purplish-blue forewings with black wingtips, and metallic turquoise hindwings with a black margin.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The adult female butterflies are similar, but have a more turquoise coloration, with wider black margins.

male, underside
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

Underneath, they are both white, with two black dots at the tornus of each hindwing. The wingspan of the butterflies is about 2.5 cms.

female, underside
(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The eggs are dome shaped and white. They have a diameter of about 0.5 mm. They are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.

Various subspecies are found through New Guinea. The subspecies kurandae is found in north Queensland

Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 680-681.

G.A. Wood,
The early stages of Philiris fulgeus kurandae Waterhouse and Philiris diana papuana Wind and Clench (Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae), Australian Entomological Magazine, Volume 10 (1984), p. 6.

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(updated 25 December 2009)