Two-spotted Line-blue

Scientific Name: Nacaduba biocellata

Other Common Names: Double-spotted Line-blue, Double Spotted Blue

Family of Butterflies: Lycaenidae (Blues and Coppers)

Wingspan: 17mm

Local Records: Most records on Atlas of Living Australia are recent, however there is a museum record from Castlemaine dated September 1907. There are recent records on iNaturalist from across our region.

Tony Morton’s records of Two Spotted Line-blue from the local area (2000 to 2013)
Date	Location	Notes
1-Nov-2006	Kalimna Ridge
19-Sep-2003	Vaughan walk
5-Oct-2002	Vaughan	Flying round one Wirilda outside house in Vaughan

Distribution outside our region: Victorian records are from around Melbourne and from drier areas,
mainly the north-west of the state. This species is found in all mainland states. ref: iNaturalist, Atlas of Living Australia. Outside Australia there are records from South-east Asia, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. iNaturalist.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on the flower buds of wattles (Acacia spp.)

Larval association with ants: Larvae often associated with small ants from the Iridomyrmex genus.

Adult Flight Times in Victoria: It is believed to have almost continuous breeding through the year, with adults being seen in flight in Victoria in all months except June and July.

Conservation Status:

• The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: No Conservation Significance

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Not listed

• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 – Threatened List: Endangered

Other Notes: Moderately common in the Mount Alexander Shire. Larvae are well camouflaged, as they look like wattle flowers.

References and further reading:

Atlas of Living Australia – Nacaduba biocellata, Two-spotted Line-blue
iNaturalist – Nacaduba biocellata, Two-spotted Line-blue
Braby, Michael F., Second edition 2016. The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing.
Field, Ross P., 2013. Butterflies: Identification and Life History. Museum Victoria