Danaid Eggfly

Danaid Eggfly - Hypolimnas misippus Linnaeus

Wingspan 70-85mm.

Danaid Eggfly Butterfly

Danaid Eggfly Butterfly

Larva Host Plants

Portulaca oleracea and Asystacia lawiana

Abelmoschus sp., Abutilon sp., Barleria cristata and Hibiscus sp. (Acanthaceae, Malvaceae and Portulacaceae)

Angled Castor

 Angled Castor - Ariadne ariadne Linnaeus

Angled Castor Butterfly

Caterpillar of Angled Castor Butterfly

Great Orange Tip

Great Orange Tip - Hebomoea glaucippe Linnaeus

Wingspan: 80-100mm.

It is the largest of the orange tips and is a strong and fast flier.

Great Orange Tip Butterfly

Caterpillar of Great Orange Tip Butterfly

Larva Host Plants

Capparaceae - Capparis decidua, Capparis divaricata, Capparis grandis and Capparis sepiaria.

Lemon Pansy

Lemon Pansy - Junonia lemonias Linnaeus

Lemon Pansy Butterfly

Wingspan: 45-60mm.

Brown butterfly with eye spots and black and lemon yellow spots and lines.

Eggs are laid on underside of leaves and is green in color and barrel shaped.
Caterpillar is black with a blue tint and  is cylindrical in shape.

Larva Host Plants

Acanthaceae, Malvaceae and Tiliaceae. Barleria spp. Cannabis sativa, Corchorus capsularis, Hygrophila auriculata, Nelsonia canescens and Sida rhombifolia.

Grey Pansy

Grey Pansy - Junonia atlites Linnaeus

Grey Pansy Butterfly

Creamish grey butterfly with brown lines and a row of black spots near the wing margin.

Wingspan:45-60mm

Grey Pansy Butterfly

Caterpillar of Grey Pansy Butterfly

Pupa of Grey Pansy Butterfly

Larva Host Plants

Acanthaceae, Malvaceae and Tiliaceae

Barleria spp., Cannabis sativa, Corchorus capsularis, Hygrophila auriculata, Nelsonia canescens and Sida rhombifolia.

Mottled Emigrant

Mottled Emigrant - Catopsilia pyranthe Linnaeus

Mottled Emigrant Butterfly

Wingspan: 50-70mm.

Mottled emigrant is a very active butterfly which rarely rests. It is active throughout the year but most abundant during the pre monsoon and post monsoon months.

Eggs are laid on fresh shoots in clusters. fresh eggs are white which later turns light pink.

Mottled Emigrant Butterfly and Eggs

Caterpillar is yellowish green when young and glossy green when about to pupate.

Pupation takes place near the ground in secluded places.pupa is green in color with yellow line on the side.

Larval Host Plants

Plants of family Fabaceae - Cassia auriculata, Cassia fistula, Cassia tora, Cassia occidentalis and Sesbania bispinosa. Gnidia glauca (Thymelaeaceae)

Common Grass Yellow

Common Grass Yellow - Eurema hecabe Linnaeus

Common Grass Yellow Butterflies Mating

Wingspan: 40-50mm.

A right yellow butterfly with black borders on the upperside of its wings. It is found all over India.

It has a weak fluttering flight and feeds mostly on small, low growing flowers.

Eggs are laid on closed tender leaves of leguminous plants.

Eggs of Common Grass Yellow Butterfly

Caterpillar is yellowish, does not venture far from and pupation occurs on or near the host plant, near to the ground.

Caterpillar of Common Grass Yellow Butterfly

Pupa of Common Grass Yellow Butterfly

Larval Host Plants

Host plants are Legunimous and of families Mimosaceae (acacias, touch me not), Caesalpiniaceae (Cassia) and Fabaceae.

Common Mime

Common Mime - Papilio clytia Linnaeus

Wingspan: 90-120mm.

common mime is a tail-less swallowtail. It has two forms clytia which mimics the Common Indian Crow and the form dissimilis which mimics the Blue Tiger.

Common Mime Butterfly

Common mime is usually found in the hilly regions. It mainly feeds from flowers of shrubs and small trees. Males engage in mud puddling.

Caterpillar of common mime is velvety black or dark green rests on upper side of leafs.

 

Caterpillar of Common Mime Butterfly

Pupa resembles a dead twig about an inch long, broken off irregularly at the tip.

 

Pupa of Common Mime Butterfly

Larval Host Plants

Plants of family Lauraceae

Alseodaphne semicarpifolia, Cinnamomum camphora, Cinnamomum macrocarpum, Litsea chinensis and Litsea deccanensis.

Common Bluebottle

Common Bluebottle - Graphium sarpedon Linnaeus

 Blue bottle butterfly

Wingspan: 80-90mm.

Black butterfly with a greenish-blue central band.

Blue bottle is very common in evergreen and semi evergreen forests. very nervous butterfly and flies fast with fast wingbeats. spends most of its time in the canopy of tall trees.Males engage in mudpuddling.

Eggs of blue bottle butterflies are yellowish. Larva is black or dark green with spines.

Pupa is green with a slender and pointed thoracic projection, yellowish wing cases and lateral bands.


Larval Host Plants

Plants of family Lauraceae and Annonaceae

Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, Cinnamomum camphora, Cinnamomum macrocarpum, Cinnamomum malabatrum, Litsea chinensis, Miliusa tomentosa, Polyalthia longifolia and Persea macrantha.

Tailed Jay

Tailed Jay - Graphium agamemnon Linnaeus

 Tailed Jay Butterfly

Wingspan: 85-100mm.

Black butterfly with green spots and steaks on wings. Wings are more elongated and narrower than other swallow tail butterflies.

 Tailed Jay Butterfly

Tailed Jay Butterfly Mating

 Caterpillar of tailed jay is spindle shaped and rests on the upper side of the leaves.

Caterpillar of Tailed Jay Butterfly

Larval Host Plants

Annonaceae, Lauraceae and Magnoliaceae

Annona discolor, Annona muriacata, Annona reticulata, Annona squamosa, Annona Artabotrys hexapetalus, Cinnamomum spp, Michelia champaca, Miliusa tomentosum, Polyalthia cerasoides and P. longifolia.

Common Mormon

Common Mormon  Papilio polytes Linnaeus


Wingspan: 90 - 100mm.

Common mormon is the  most common species among swallow tail butterflies. Male is black with an array of white spots along the central areas of the hind-wing. The border of the fore wing is marked with smaller white spots.

 

Common Mormon female laying eggs

 Females have three forms, the form cyrus similar to the male and the romulus form mimicking Crimson Rose butterfly. The form stichius is a mimic of Common Rose Butterfly.

 Malabar Banded Swallow Tail

 Malabar Banded Swallow Tail an endemic butterfly of Western Ghats is a similar species to the Common Mormon.

Common Mormon Butterfly Emerging from Pupa

Common Mormon is a regular sight in city garden to forest because of the abundance of larva host plant and nectaring plants. Males often engage in mud puddling; which is a common sight at riverbeds and wet soil.

 

Egg of Common Mormon Butterfly

The eggs are laid on the upper surface of the tender leaves and shots.

 

Caterpillar of Common Mormon Butterfly

First instars of the caterpillar look likes to bird-drops. Pupas are varid in colurs from green to yellow and dry leaves' colour.

Pupa of Common Mormon Butterfly

Larva host plants: Citrus sp. Murraya koeigii, M. paniculata, Glycosmis arborea etc.

Crimson Rose - Pachlipta hector Linnaeus

 

Crimson Rose is one among the larger varieties of butterflies found in India. It is a large butterfly with glossy black color and has two broad white bands on its fore wings and bright crimson spots on the tailed hind wings which help identify the species.

 Crimson Rose Butterfly

 A very similar species to Crimson Rose butterfly is the Common Rose; but they lack the white bands on their forewings and have elongated white spots on their hind wing. The romulus form of Common Mormon female is a mimic of Crimson Rose butterfly but is smaller in size, black in color and have duller shades.

Flight

Crimson Rose has a slow, fluttering but steady flight and flies faster, stronger and higher.

Habits

Readily visits nectar sources like Lantana, Cleorodendron s. etc. Basks with wings spread flat. Have strong migrational instincts.

 Wingspan :- 90 -110mm.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar of Crimson Rose butterfly is purplish black or blackish brown with a black head and orange red tuercles, and a transverse yellowish white band on segments 6 to 8 is very prominent.

 Caterpillar of Crimson Rose Butterfly

Pupa

Pupa of Crimson Rose butterfly is pinkish brown with darker, expanded wing cases. The wing like expansion on the abdomen is distinctive.

Larval Host Plants

The romulus form of Common Mormon female mimicking Crimson Rose Butterfly Laying Eggs

Aristolochia indica, Aristolochia tagla, Aristolochia bracteolate and Thottea siliquosa (Aristolochiaceae).

Plain Tiger - Danaus Chrysippus

Plain Tiger - Danaus Chrysippus

Plain Tiger Butterfly

Scientific name - Danaus chrysippus Linnaeus
Old name - Danais chrysippus Linnaeus

Plain Tiger Butterfly

Plain Tiger or African Monarch is a butterfly with a wingspan of 70- 80 mm. this is a tawny, medium sized butterfly. The body is black, spotted with white. The apical half of the fore wing is black and marked with a pure white band. The hind wing has three small, black spots approximately at the centre. The male has an additional larger and slightly bulging white centered spot. This spot is a cluster of scent scales that attract females. The hind wing has a thin, black border that encloses a series of semicircular white spots. The butterfly is somewhat oily and smooth to touch. The male is smaller than the female.

Plain Tiger Butterflies Mating

Larval Host Plants

The caterpillars feed on "milkweed" plants. These in our region, include a large bush - Calotropis gigantea, a herb growing in the vicinity of water - Asclepias curassavica and a straggling bush - Cryptolepis buchnani (Asclepiadaceae). The first two are commonly used.