Illidge's ant blue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Illidge's ant-blue |
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Acrodipsas
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A. illidgei
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| Acrodipsas illidgei Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914
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The Illidge's ant-blue butterfly (Acrodipsas illidgei) is a very special and rare butterfly. It lives only in Australia. This tiny butterfly is an endangered species, which means it needs our help to survive.
You can find this butterfly in a few specific places. These include areas near the Mary River in Queensland, like Mary River Heads. It also lives in Redland Bay and Point Halloran in the Moreton Bay Region. Another spot is Brunswick Heads in New South Wales.
What Does the Illidge's Ant-Blue Look Like?
The eggs of this butterfly are white and very small. They are about 0.7 millimeters wide. When the butterfly is a caterpillar, it is white. The pupa, which is the stage before it becomes an adult butterfly, is brown and about 1 centimeter long.
Adult Illidge's ant-blue butterflies are brown. The females have beautiful blue areas on their wings. These blue parts can change color depending on how you look at them. The underside of the wings, for both males and females, is a light brown color called fawn. It also has small dark spots. The wingspan of this butterfly is about 2 centimeters, which is quite small!
The Amazing Life Cycle of the Illidge's Ant-Blue
The life cycle of the Illidge's ant-blue butterfly is very interesting and complex. It shows a special partnership between different living things. This partnership happens in mangrove forests.
Female butterflies lay their eggs on grey mangrove trees. They choose trees where there are colonies of Crematogaster ants. Once the eggs hatch, the tiny butterfly larvae (caterpillars) are taken by the ants to their nests.
Inside the ant nest, the butterfly larvae feed on developing ants. In return, the ants feed on special liquids that the larvae produce. This is a unique give-and-take relationship!
So far, scientists have not found any natural enemies for the Illidge's ant-blue butterfly. The only danger to the eggs is from hunting spiders. Sometimes, the ants themselves can become unfriendly towards the butterfly larvae. But when the butterfly is ready to emerge, it has fluffy scales on its body. These scales help protect it from any attacks by the ants.
Protecting This Special Butterfly
The biggest danger to the Illidge's ant-blue butterfly is the destruction of its mangrove homes. Mangrove systems are like busy cities for many plants and animals. When mangroves are destroyed, it also puts other creatures, like crabs and snails, in danger.
To help save the Illidge's ant-blue butterfly, the government of Queensland gave it special protection in 1990. This means it is now illegal to collect these butterflies without permission. Any samples that are collected must be registered with the government. This helps make sure this amazing butterfly can survive for many years to come.
