Swainson, 1830 subtribe iolaina riley, 1958 Iolaus pallene. Photo courtesy Jeremy Dobson

“Pupa. (Plate XIII, fig. 1). The pupa figured is somewhat like that of iulus, but the dorsal markings are more extensive and elaborate. The surface is comparatively smooth and in the dried specimen the ground-colour is deep ochreous with the markings in brown. In life they are described …. as fairly bright green, the variable dark markings having paler centres. A single pupa was purplish brown. All three pupae are attached to Loranthus leaves. Length 15 mm.

"This [I.(A.) s. silarus] has been bred on numerous occasions but there do not appear to be any published descriptions. However certain differences have been noted in the first instar larva."

"[I.(A.) s. brainei] Egg. Laid singly on leaf of foodplant, white in colour with numerous indentations. Hatches after about 6 days. Larva. On emergence, measures just over 1 mm, whitish in colour clothed with long spinous setae. It feeds on the surface of the leaf. At full growth it measures 20 mm, colour green with a reddish-brown dorsal line, smooth without setae, very humped in outline and anal segment bifid. Pupa. Length 14 mm, greenish in colour, attached to undersurface of leaf, by cremastral hooks only, in a horizontal position. It remains 3-4 weeks in the pupal stage, sometimes much longer, according to seasonal and temperature changes."