Golden-rayed Blue butterfly
This Victorian butterfly is Endangered.
It lives in the narrow bands of remnant floodplains that border a handful of salt-lakes in Victoria's west. The Golden-rayed Blue butterfly feeds on only one species of plant, known commonly as Creeping Boobialla.
Major threats
Degraded habitat is the biggest threat to the survival of the Golden-rayed Blue butterfly. Living in a restricted area doesn’t help its cause. Over time it has lost its marginal habitat around the salt-lakes, mainly through cropping and grazing.
The invasive paperbark tree is another problem as it displaces the butterfly’s food plant. This tree also reduces the sunny, open areas preferred by the adult butterfly.
The plan for fighting extinction
Zoos Victoria is conducting field surveys to better understand the threats to the Golden-rayed Blue butterfly. We are also supporting its protection and restoration through land management and re-vegetation.
How you can help
- Do what you can to create community awareness and support for the Golden-rayed Blue butterfly.
- Visiting our zoos supports our fighting extinction work.
- Donate if you can. As a not-for-profit organisation all donations go towards our important conservation efforts.
- Discover more about local conservation events and join the growing number of activists taking action for local wildlife.
Is your classroom learning about the Golden-rayed Blue butterfly?
Browse through our collection of animal teaching and learning resources for students. These include animal toolkits, e-books, Ask a Zoo Expert resources, video showcases and real-world examples to support the VCE Study Design.
Photo: Kate Pearce
