Golden azure facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden azure |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Ogyris
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| Species: |
O. ianthis
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| Ogyris ianthis Waterhouse, 1900
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The golden azure or Sydney azure (Ogyris ianthis) is a beautiful butterfly. It belongs to the Lycaenidae family, which includes many small and colorful butterflies. This special butterfly is not very common. You can find it in certain areas around Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It also lives a bit further north into southern Queensland.
Contents
Meet the Golden Azure Butterfly
Where Does the Golden Azure Live?
This butterfly prefers specific places to live. It likes dry sclerophyll forest. This type of forest has tough, often spiky leaves. It also lives in open woodlands. These areas are usually found on sandstone soils.
What Does the Golden Azure Look Like?
Both male and female golden azure butterflies are about the same size. Their wingspan is around 33 millimeters. That's about the length of a standard paperclip!
- Males: The top side of their wings is a pale blue color. They have black edges around their wings. The underside of their wings is a pale brown.
- Females: The top side of their wings is a bright golden orange. They have blackish edges on their wings. The underside of their wings is more brownish.
What Do Golden Azure Caterpillars Eat?
The young golden azure butterflies, called larvae or caterpillars, have a special diet. They feed on different types of mistletoe plants. Mistletoe is a plant that grows on other trees.
Some of the mistletoe species they eat include:
- Amyema miquelii
- A. linophylla
- A. quandang
- Dendrophthoe glabrescens
- D. vitellina
- Muellerina eucalyptoides
A Special Friendship with Ants
Like many butterflies in the Lycaenidae family, the golden azure larvae have a unique relationship with ants. These ants are called Froggatella kirbii. The ants "attend" the larvae, which means they look after them. In return, the larvae often produce a sweet liquid that the ants like to drink. It's a bit like a tiny farm!
