About Jalmenus icilius (Hewitson, 1865)
Jalmenus icilius, commonly known as the Icilius blue or amethyst hairstreak, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Lycaenidae. It is found across all mainland states of Australia, occupying most inland subtropical regions, ranging from the Selwyn Range and from Carnarvon to Kalgoorlie. The species is generally common across most of its distribution, except at the southeastern end of its range in central and western Victoria, where it is currently very scarce. Its wingspan measures approximately 30 mm. The larvae of this butterfly feed on a broad variety of plants, which includes Cassia artemisioides, Cassia nemophila, Daviesia benthamii, and a wide set of Acacia species: A. acuminata, A. anceps, A. aneura, A. dealbata, A. deanei, A. harpophylla, A. mearnsii, A. parramattensis, A. pendula, A. pycnantha, A. rubida, A. saligna and A. victoriae. Caterpillars of this species are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex rufoniger.
