Udara blackburni

Udara blackburni, the Koa butterfly, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. It is also known as Blackburn's butterfly, Blackburn's bluet, Hawaiian blue or green Hawaiian blue.

Koa butterfly
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Udara
Species:
U. blackburni
Binomial name
Udara blackburni
(Tuely, 1878)
Synonyms
  • Holochila blackburni Tuely, 1878
  • Lycaena blackburni Meyrick, 1899
  • Candalides blackburni Gruenberg, 1922
  • Vaga blackburni Zimmerman, 1958

The wingspan is 22–29 mm.

The larvae feed on Acacia species (especially Acacia koa), Pithecellobium, Samanea saman, Perottetia sandwicensis, Dodonaea viscosa and Pipturus albidus.[1]

Udara blackburni is one of only two butterfly species that are native to Hawai'i, the other being Vanessa tameamea. These butterflies have wings that are blue on the upper side and green on the under side.[2]

Description and biology

These butterflies have a wingspan of about an inch.[2] The upper sides of their wings are blue and they often perch with their wings folded which reveals the under sides of the wings which are green.[3] The adults feed on flower nectar with their long coiled up proboscis. The caterpillars are primarily found feeding on the Koa tree but occasionally on ʻaʻaliʻi, olomea, and māmaki plants.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to Hawaiʻi and has been recorded on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molakaʻi, Lanaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. Of the main Hawaiian Islands, the only two that have no records of these butterflies are Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe.[4]

Cultural significance

Native insects developed a lot of cultural meaning to Polynesians in the Hawaiian Islands.

References
  1. Zimmerman, Elwood C. (1958). Insects of Hawaii, Volume 7: Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press. p. 491-497.
  2. "Koa Butterfly". hbs.bishopmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  3. "Koa Butterfly | Hawaiian Forest". hawaiianforest.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  4. "Koa Butterfly". hbs.bishopmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-02-20.


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