Common Grass Blue - Zizina labradus

FAMILY LYCAENIDAE

This page contains information and pictures about Common Grass Blue Butterflies in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Wingspan 20mm

Common Grass Blues are small butterflies. They are common in Brisbane. We can easily find them flying close to the ground, on grass and low vegetation. They are purplish blue on the wings top and white with black body. Their wings bottom are pink to reddish white with many pale dots.



We notice an interesting fact that most of their pictures, include those we taken, from reference book and from other web sites, are showing a mating pair. This could be because the little butterfly seldom rest down, only rest when mating.



Common Grass Blue Butterfly rests on grass during evening.



The green slug-like caterpillars feed on various members Fabaceae, such as lucerne and French beans. The caterpillars also feed on Clover.





The Common Grass Blue Butterfly feeding on Oxalis chnoodes.

Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 899.
2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p466.
3. Zizina labradus - Australian Caterpillars, Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2005.

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