Hypolimnas alimena

Hypolimnas alimena (Linnaeus, 1758)
(erroneously: Hipolimnas alimena)
Blue-banded Eggfly
NYMPHALINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

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

Hypolimnas alimena

These Caterpillars are initially cream and are very hairy. Later they become black with black branched hairs. Their heads are dark brown and have a pair of long branched spines. The Caterpillars feed on various species from the plant family ACANTHACEAE, including

Love Flower ( Pseuderanthemum variabile ),

Coromandel ( Asystasia gangetica ), and

Caricature Plant ( Graptophyllum pictum ).

The Caterpillars hide by day in ground debris, and feed at night. The are voracious, consuming whole plants and then searching for more.

The pupa is dark brown with white patches and rows of sharp spines. It is suspended head down froma cremaster in a sheltered spot.

male
(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The adult male butterflies are black on top, with a blue band across each wing, and a double row of subterminal pale spots. Underneath, the males are brown with a smoky pale band across each wing, and a subtermial row of pale spots, and pale edges.

( Australia Post, 2004)

The females have an extra white flash or row of white spots across the tip of each forewing. The undersides of the females are similar to their upper surfaces.

This species is found in :

Indonesia,

New Guinea,

Solomons, and

two subspecies are found in Australia :

lamina along the north-east coast of Queensland, and

darwinensis in the Northern Territory.

This butterfly is featured at Coffs Harbour Butterfly House.