Hypochrysops delicia

Hypochrysops delicia, the moonlight jewel, is a member of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in eastern Australia.[1]

Hypochrysops delicia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Hypochrysops
Species:	H. delicia
Binomial name
Hypochrysops delicia Hewitson, 1875
Synonyms
Miletus delicia delos Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 Miletus delicia var. duaringae Waterhouse, 1903 Hypochrysops regina Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1895

The wingspan is about 40 mm. The wings are iridescent turquoise on top, shading to black at the margins.

The larvae feed on Acacia species, including A. binervia, A. dealbata, A. flavescens, A. implexa, A. irrorata, A. leiocalyx, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. parramattensis, A. pycnantha and A. spectabilis. It is usually attended by Crematogaster species. The larvae are brown and hairy with a dark dorsal stripe and diagonal markings, as well as a black head. It reaches a length of about 25 mm when fully grown.[2]

Subspecies

• H. d. delicia - Hewitson, 1875 (southern Queensland to central New South Wales)
• H. d. delos - Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 (southern New South Wales to Victoria)
• H. d. duaringae - Waterhouse, 1903 (central Queensland)
• H. d. regina - Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1895 (Moluccas)

References

1. Australian Biological Resources Study (1 February 2016). "Species Hypochrysops delicia Hewitson, 1875". Australian Faunal Directory. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
2. Lepidoptera Larvae of Australia