Arhopala madytus (Bright Oak-blue)
27/04/2021
Cairns
27/04/2021
Cairns
29/12/2008
Cairns
29/04/2023
Cairns
29/04/2023
Cairns
29/04/2023
Cairns
29/04/2023
Cairns
29/04/2023
Cairns
22/04/2023
Cairns
22/04/2023
Cairns
17/12/2017
Palmetum, Townsville
17/12/2017
Palmetum, Townsville
17/12/2017
Palmetum, Townsville
12/03/2017
Fitzroy Island, QLD
14/03/2017
Cairns
14/03/2017
Cairns
23/11/2013
Cairns
29/03/2016
Cairns
24/03/2016
Cairns
23/04/2011
Trinity Park, Cairns
24/04/2011
Cairns
24/04/2011
Cairns
26/10/2005
Cairns
30/04/2006
Cairns
27/04/2006
Cairns
Notes
I’d seen a number of specimens of A. micale on my first trip to Cairns, but none of the other Oak Blues. On my last day, I was in the Botanic Gardens and I saw a group of German tourists watching something. When I looked closer, I saw they were watching a butterfly flying low down across the grass. When it landed I quickly took a picture, and it was obvious immediately that it was not micale. Unfortunately it flew away before I could get any more pictures.
On my second trip to Cairns, however, most of the Oak Blues I saw were of this species. I didn’t see large numbers of them, but I’d see the odd one of two just about every day. They were generally on shrubs at the side of paths at the edge of the rainforest, as well as in the Botanic Gardens.
Note: the butterflies usually settle in shady places, which means that a flash tends to be necessary to take a photo. Unfortunately the underside colour in the flash photos simply doesn’t look right – in reality it was much more of a dark brown than is shown in some of these photos.