Common grass blue, Grass blue, Clover blue
Zizina labradus, the common grass blue, grass blue, or clover blue, is a small Australian butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withAdults are purplish blue on the upper wing surface with a black body and black or brown wing margins. These margins are larger on the female than the male. The lower wing surface is brown to pale brownish grey with a pattern of fawn bands and spots, with the body covered in white or grey hairs. The wingspans of females are slightly larger than males, females having a wingspan of 23 mm and males 20 mm. Common grass blues have a weak, fluttering flight and so usually fly near ground level close to a food source.
Eggs are white or pale blue and have a mandarin shape with a pitted surface. Caterpillars reach about 7 mm in length, and their appearance is primarily green with a yellow stripe at the sides and a darker green stripe on the back, and brown or black head usually obscured under the thorax. In captivity, fed on an artificial diet, larvae come in highly variable colours, ranging from white through red to dark purple. Pupa are 10 mm long with erect hairs. Colouration varies, ranging from pink, greyish or greenish cream and contains mottled dark spots.
The subspecies Zizina labradus labradus is found over most of continental Australia, as well as on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island, while the subspecies Zizina labradus labdalon is restricted mainly to Cape York Peninsula. The common grass blue is often misidentified as the lesser grass blue, Zizina otis.
Zizina labradus labradus, as its name suggests, is very common and can be found in suburban gardens, particularly perching in grass; lawns and fields.
