Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Species Arhopala eupolis (Miskin, 1890)

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Species Arhopala eupolis (Miskin, 1890)

Purple Oak-blue

Introduction

"Specimens from Australia known as Arhopala centaurus (Fabricius, 1775) are now referred to A. eupolis (Miskin, 1890) (Vane-Wright & Gaonkar 2006). Vane-Wright and Gaonker (2006) examined Fabricius’ type material in the Banks Collection of the Natural History Museum, London (BMNH), and established that the type locality of A. centaurus is near Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, and not Cooktown, Qld, as indicated by Edwards et al. (2001). Vane-Wright and Gaonkar (2006) concluded that the Oriental taxon A. centaurus is specifically distinct from the Australian population A. eupolis, the syntypes of which were collected from Cooktown and Cardwell (Hancock 1995)." (see Braby 2010)

 

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia


Extra Distribution Information

Extralimital distribution—Indonesia (Aru Islands, Irian Jaya, Kei Islands), Papua New Guinea.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Northern Kimberley (NK), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Larva: herbivore (associated flora: Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T.Blake [MYRTACEAE] Broad Leaved Paperbark; Corymbia tessellaris (F.Muell.) K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson [MYRTACEAE] Carbeen, Manna Gum, Moreton Bay Ash; Eucalyptus sp. [MYRTACEAE] Gum Tree; Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. [LYTHRACEAE]; Buchanania obovata Engl. [ANACARDIACEAE]; Maranthes corymbosa Reinw. ex Blume [CHRYSOBALANACEAE]; Terminalia catappa L. [COMBRETACEAE]; Terminalia melanocarpa F.Muell. [COMBRETACEAE]; Terminalia muelleri Benth. [COMBRETACEAE]; Dendrophthoe vitellina (F.Muell.) Tiegh. [LORANTHACEAE]; Corymbia intermedia R.Baker [MYRTACEAE]; Corymbia ptychocarpa F.Muell. [MYRTACEAE]; Cupaniopsis sp. [SAPINDACEAE]).

Extra Ecological Information

Lagerstroemia speciosa (Lythraceae) is introduced.

 

General References

Bethune-Baker, G.T. 1903. A revision of the Amblypodia group of butterflies of the family Lycaenidae. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 17 1: 1-164 pls I-V [41] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement as A. eupolis (Miskin))

Braby, M.F. 2010. The merging of taxonomy and conservation biology: a synthesis of Australian butterfly systematics (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea). Zootaxa 2707: 1-76 [Date published 3 Dec 2010]

Common, I.F.B. & Waterhouse, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia. Sydney : Angus & Robertson xiv 682 pp. 49 pls. [468]

Corbet, A.S. & Pendlebury, H.M. 1978. The Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : Malayan Nature Society Vol. 1 578 pp. [285, 468] (the species has been within several genera, Amblypodia, Narathura, Arhopalia in Australia; the name Arhopala centaurus was used for this species until Evans 1957 p. 113 decide that the name belonged to a Malaysian species; Corbett and Pendlebury 1978, p. 285 disagreed and the name A. centaurus was reinstated)

Evans, W.H. 1957. A revision of the Arhopala group of Oriental Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 5(3): 85-141 [114] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement as A. araxes C. & R. Felder)

Miskin, W.H. 1890. Descriptions of hitherto undescribed Australian Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera) principally Lycaenidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 5(1): 29-43 [publication date: Anon. 1929. List showing dates of publication of parts of the Proceedings for each year. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. Index to vols 1–50 (1875–1925)] [42]

Parsons, M.J. 1998. The Butterflies of Papua New Guinea; their systematics and biology. San Diego : Academic Press 736 pp. [386]

Vane-Wright, R.I. & Gaonkar, H. 2006. The Arhopala butterflies described by Fabricius: A. centaurus is from Java, A. democritus from Phuket (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Entomological Science 9: 295–311

Waterhouse, G.A. & Lyell, G. 1914. The Butterflies of Australia: a monograph of the Australian Rhopalocera introducing a complete scheme of structural classification, and giving descriptions and illustrations of all the butterflies found in Australia, including a number now recorded for the first time. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 239 pp. 38 pls + 3 unnumbered colour pls. [Date published 25 July 1914] [124]

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
07-Mar-2024 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Michael Braby
04-Feb-2023 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Michael Braby (ANU)
13-May-2022 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Michael Braby
26-Feb-2021 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Michael Braby
04-Jun-2020 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Michael Braby
04-Jun-2020 LYCAENIDAE Leach, 1815 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
06-Sep-2017 PAPILIONOIDEA 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
06-Sep-2017 LYCAENIDAE 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Dr Federica Turco (QM)
05-Mar-2013 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
30-Mar-2012 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
28-Mar-2012 20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
20-Jun-2024 MODIFIED