Philiris sappheira

Philiris sappheira Sands, 1980
Sapphire Moonbeam
LUCIINI , THECLINAE , LYCAENIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

These Caterpillars are green with a cream dorsal line, cream mottling generally, and dense hairy sides. The Caterpillars rest by day under a leaf near the base by a vein, where it is well camouflaged.

(Photo: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

They feed nocturnally, the foodplant being :

Brown Macaranga ( Macaranga involucrata, EUPHORBIACEAE ).

(Photos: courtesy of Bob Miller and Ian Hill)

The pupa is usually attached to the underside of a leaf of its foodplant.

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

The male adult butterflies are black on top, with a large blue-green iridescent patch on each wing.

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

The females only have the coloured patches on the forewings. Underneath, both sexes are white with black dots around the tornus of each hindwing. They have a wingspan of about 2 cms.

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

The species occurs as other subspecies in New Guinea, and as manskiei around the McIver River in north Queensland.

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