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Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus)

Common Grass Blue
Blue upperside of a male. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 05 / 12 / 2009)

Appearance: Male upperside blue with broad, dark edges. Female upperside mainly grey-brown with more or less extended blue suffusion. Underside of both sexes grey with characteristic pattern of often indistinctive, dark spots.
Wingspan: 2.0–2.5 cm
Season: Several generations all around the year.
Range: All over Australia, including TAS.
Habitat: Grassy areas; very common along road sides and in suburban parks and gardens.

Notes

The Common Grass Blue is one of the most common butterflies of Australia. It can be found in large numbers in basically every grassy spot across the country, although it appears to be somewhat less common in south-western WA. In warm and sunny weather, males permanently flutter around near the ground, whereas in cooler conditions they usually rest in the grass, often with their wings half open.

The Common Grass Blue can be easily distinguished from other species by the faint and indistinct spots on the underside of the wings, although the spots are highly variable and occasionally can be very prominent and dark.

Additional Photos

Common Grass Blue
Male upperside. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 05 / 12 / 2009)
Common Grass Blue
Female upperside. (Warrumbungle NP, NSW, 26 / 11 / 2007)
Common Grass Blue
Male underside. (Uluru–Kata Tjuta NP, NT, 21 / 08 / 2009)
Common Grass Blue
Female underside. (Warrumbungle NP, NSW, 26 / 11 / 2007)
Common Grass Blue
The underside spots are highly variable and can be almost invisible... (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 24 / 10 / 2009)
Common Grass Blue
...or very prominent and dark. (Yalgorup NP, WA, 13 / 01 / 2013)
Common Grass Blue
Mating pair in a residential area in suburban Sydney. (Marsfield, NSW, 07 / 12 / 2007)
Common Grass Blue
The butterflies regularly feed from flowers. (Lane Cove NP, NSW, 05 / 12 / 2009)
Common Grass Blue
The blue suffusion on the upperside of the female can be quite extended. (Glenbrook, NSW, 02 / 04 / 2010)