Arhopala wildei (White Oak-blue)

Other Common Name

Small Oak-blue

Notes

My first sighting of this interesting little butterfly was in the park across the road from the Cairns Botanic Garden in April 2011. I saw it fly into a tree, where it settled a few feet above head height. I got a couple of shots, and then he flew down into the undergrowth near the tree, where I got a couple more shots of him only a few inches from the ground. It was quite a treat to see this species; I wish it was more common as I’d love to see it more often.

Since then I have come across them a few more times, but I’ve rarely seen more than the odd one or two. The notable exception was at Goomboorah Park in February 2018 when I probably saw over a dozen of them, though I’ve still never found as good a specimen as the first one.

Sightings

Cairns – April 2011, March 2016, February 2018
Kuranda – June 2022

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