Arhopala micale (Shining Oak-blue)

Arhopala micale amytis
Arhopala micale “Northern form”

Other Common Name

Common Oak-blue

Notes

I frequently bumping into one one of these butterflies in and around Cairns, where they do seem to be the most common Oak-blue species, at least most of the time.

They usually settle in the shade, so most of my photos were taken with a flash, which makes the colour of the undersides look much paler than it actually is.

On my second trip to Cairns I was fortunate enough to find a female basking with her wings open fairly early one morning. According to the books the Oak Blues don’t rest with their wings open, so it was lucky for me that this butterfly hadn’t read those books.

Sightings

Cairns – every visit
Townsville – December 2017
Darwin – April 2024

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