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Arhopala pseudocentaurus aglais
Arhopala pseudocentaurus aglais (C.& R.Felder, [1865]) (= Arhopala setsuroi Hayashi, 1981), commonly called Centaur Oak Blue or Centaur Oakblue. The Centaur Oakblue can be differentiated from the other Arhopala species by the silvery green lines edging the markings in the cell on the underside of the forewing. The male is purple-blue with a very narrow black border on the forewing. The paler and more purple female has broad dark borders. The species has a symbiotic relationship with ants during its larval stage. The green caterpillar has a brown saddle mark. The caterpillar is attended by ants, in particular, the 'Fire Ant' or Kerengga (Oecophylla smaragdina). The caterpillar exudes a honey which is 'milked' by the ants in return for protection. No predator would normally risk tackling these aggressive biting ants to get at the caterpillar. The butterfly has been observed both in the nature reserves and in areas outside where its host plant and the Kerengga ants abound.
Makiling Botanic Gardens, a forest park of the Mt. Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (adjacent or within the UPLB-College of Forestry and Natural Resources), University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Laguna.
Reference: http://pbh-butterflies.yolasite.com/phil... http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/abstra...
9 Comments
Thanks Leonardo, mcaul, LuckyLogan, Marta. Appreciate all your comments and faves. :)
Unique colors! Great spotting, Agnes!
The colours are amazing :D
Thanks Muse!
Thanks Nuwan! It would be nice to see the caterpillar as well. :)
Nice! i was able to photograph the caterpillar couple days ago, i will post it later..
Thanks Adi, Sachindra, bherath :) It is indeed a beautiful lycaenid.. too bad I was not able to capture its upperside, a lovely deep blue.
Wow..so beautiful spot Agnes!
you're welcome =) i love these small fellows! =)
Thanks Sachindra! :)