Catopyrops florinda (Speckled Line-blue)

Catopyrops florinda halys
Catopyrops florinda estrella

Notes

I stumbled upon what appeared to be a colony of this species at a clearing near Glenbrook in the lower Blue Mountains, when I was trying to get photos of Acraea andromacha. There were at least two dozen specimens, in a spot at the edge of the trees. They were mostly hanging out around an area of flowers, herbs and low shrubs in between the trees and an area of grass. The females spent a lot of time feeding from flowers, whilst the males were busy fighting their little territorial battles.

I was very pleased to find this butterfly, as the Sydney area is just about the southern limit of its range, and there have not been many records from the area. It’s funny really – I’d expected to find this species when I went to Cairns, but didn’t see one in my first few trips. 

There were still plenty of these butterflies around at Glenbrook in April and early May 2006, and I found them in a number of different sites in that area.

I found this butterfly in the same places the following two years. I also found it on the Terrace Garden at the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens in 2008.

Sightings

Glenbrook, Blue Mountains – March, April and May 2006, April 2007, April 2008.
Mount Annan – April 2008
Knapsack Park – October 2009, February 2010
Cairns – November 2013
Townsville – December 2017
Darwin – April 2018, April 2024

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