Common Grass Blue

Appearance

Adults are purplish blue on the upper wing surface with a black body and black or brown wing margins. These margins are larger on the female than the male. The lower wing surface is brown to pale brownish-grey with a pattern of fawn bands and spots, with the body covered in white or grey hairs. The wingspans of females are slightly larger than males, females having a wingspan of 23mm and males 20mm. Common Grass Blues have a weak, fluttering flight and so usually fly close to ground level close to a food source.

Eggs are white or pale blue and have a mandarin shape with a pitted surface. Caterpillars reach about 7mm in length, and their appearance is primarily green with a yellow stripe at the sides and a darker green stripe on the back, and brown or black head usually obscured under the thorax. In captivity, fed on an artificial diet, larvae come in highly variable colours, ranging from white through red to dark purple. Pupa are 10mm long with erect hairs. Colouration varies, ranging from pink, greyish or greenish cream and contains mottled dark spots.

Distribution

The subspecies "Zizina labradus labradus" is found over most of continental Australia, as well as on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island, while the subspecies "Zizina labradus labdalon " is restricted mainly to Cape York Peninsula. The Common Grass Blue is often misidentified as the Lesser Grass Blue, "Zizina otis".

"Zizina labradus labradus", as its name suggests, is very common and can be found in suburban gardens, particularly perching in grass; lawns and fields.