Philiris fulgens

Philiris fulgens, the purple moonbeam, is a species of butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia (northern Queensland).

Philiris fulgens
P. f. fulgens
P. f. septentrionalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lycaenidae
Genus:
Philiris
Species:
P. fulgens
Binomial name
Philiris fulgens
Synonyms
  • Holochila fulgens Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1897[2]
  • Philiris kurandae Waterhouse, 1902

The wingspan is about 25 mm. Males have metallic purplish-blue forewings with black wingtips and metallic turquoise hindwings with a black margin. Females are similar, but have a more turquoise coloration, with wider black margins.

The larvae feed on Cryptocarya murrayi, Litsea leefeana, Litsea australis and Endiandra hypotephra. They skeletonize the leaves of their host plant. The larvae are green with a yellow dorsal line. Full-grown larvae can reach a length of about 13 mm. Pupation takes place in an approximately 1 cm long green pupa with a few orange markings and a brown dorsal patch, which is spun under a leaf.[3]

Subspecies
  • P. f. fulgens (Moluccas, Ambon, Serang)
  • P. f. bicolorata Wind & Clench, 1947 (Aru)
  • P. f. kurandae Waterhouse, 1902 (Australia: Cairns district)
  • P. f. septentrionalis Joicey & Talbot, 1916 (Biak, Kapaur)

References
  1. "Philiris Röber, 1891" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Grose-Smith, Henley (1897). "Lycænidæ (Oriental)". Rhopalocera Exotica. 3. London: Woodfall and Kinder. p. 8. Pl. 10, Fig. 14, 15.
  3. Lepidoptera Larvae of Australia


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