Pointed Line Blue

Description:

Lycaenidae; Lycaeninae; Polyommatini; Ionolyce helicon merguiana Moore 1884. Ionolyce helicon is described as follows: "Dorsal surface of male dark purple and without markings. Whereas in female, dorsum brownish with a bluish-purple tinge at the wing bases. Ventral surface of both wings with dull greyish-brown and white striae. Eye spot at tornus tipped with orange ring. There is a fine white-tipped tail. Caterpillar greenish with pale green markings. Host plants are Allophylus cobbe and Entada phaseoloides. Pupa mottled brown with dark markings." Wikipedia. This is a helpful description, but rather disappointingly the Philippines is not included in the distribution of this ssp. when its presence here is documented by Philippine Lepidoptera.

Habitat:

This Pointed Line Blue was spotted on a large growth of Tropical White Weed (Ageratum conyzoides) which sits right at a point where the boundaries of 4 rice fields converge. So it is in a great spot for all manner of insects to to visit, not only during the rice growing season, but also the dry season.

Notes:

This Ageratum conyzoides is one of my favourite plants to visit when I want to see some butterflies. The uncropped picture included above is just to show this little Pointed Line Blue having the time of his life in A. conyzoides paradise.