and grows to a length of about 1 cm.

It pupates in a cocoon amongst the foliage or in the ground litter at the foot of the foodplant.

(Photo from: Flying Colours, Coupar & Coupar, 1992)

The adult moth has spectacular metallic blue-green forewings. Sadly the shiny green scales rub off very easily when the moth is handled. The hindwings are brown. It has a wingspan of about 3 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The species is found over much of Australia, including

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 24.12, p. 297.

Pat and Mike Coupar,
Flying Colours, New South Wales University Press, Sydney 1992, p. 91.

Gerhard M. Tarmann,
Zygaenid moths of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, 2004.

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(updated 27 January 2012)