Overview
The subfamilies Lipteninae, Poritiinae, Miletinae, Lycaeninae and Curetinae are not found in Australia; however, Lycaeninae are found both in New Guinea and New Zealand (Gibbs 1980).
Description
Small to large; eyes often emarginate at base of antenna, or contiguous with antennal socket, often hairy; maxillary palps absent; labial palps ascending; epiphysis absent, fore leg in male somewhat reduced in most groups, normal in female, spurs 0-2-2, 0-1-1 or 0-0-0; fore wing often lacking 1 or 2 branches of R, 1A + 2A sometimes forked; Sc + R
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diverging from Rs near base, almost always with 2 anal veins, margin often produced into 1 or more tails. Egg with diameter usually greater than height, or nearly spherical, often densely pitted or with projections. Larva usually onisciform (i.e. shaped like a wood-louse), usually with retractile head, sometimes with dense, short hairs; abdomen often with medial dorsal gland on segment 7 and pair of dorsolateral, eversible organs on 8; prolegs with median, fleshy lobe, more or less interrupting the uni- to multiordinal row of crochets; frequently associated with ants. Pupa usually attached at anal end and by central, silken girdle; sometimes lying loose, cremaster absent.