Monday, February 3, 2014

The Plain Tiger, Danaus (Anosia) chrysippus chrysippus (L.) f. alcippoides (Moore)

Uncommon now though once a common roadside butterfly, it is not frequently encountered and are sometimes seen visiting flowers of the Snake Weed and cassia along roadsides fringing villages and farmland. This is decidedly an insect of the open country and grassland, in Raub that would likely be open road sides with patches of grassland and flowering bushes close to human activites (farming). The form alcippoides (Moore) is the likely form to be encountered in this part of the country, having the hindwings almost flushed white. Use of herbicide to control roadside, parks and wasteland weeds had greatly contributed to its decline and that of other once common open country butterflies in Raub.

Habitat indicator

RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN

 x
 x









Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2013
2014
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct


S10S10S10






2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S10
S10













2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec




S6






S6

2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S6S10













Above 2 photos 30 Jan 2014 @ 10:49.

10:53
10:53





Above 3 photos @ 10:57


Above photos 05 Dec 2014 @ 10:36


*     *     *     *     *

A worn female came and deposited some eggs on my Caloptris seedling...

Above pictures 07 Jan 2017

The ribbed egg is laid on the leaf surface of its host plant, The Giant Milkweed, Calotropis gigantea in batches or singly.

a 3rd instar caterpillar

5th instar (final instar)

Sometimes too many batches of eggs are alid on a single host plant causing the caterpillars to strip the host plant bare of leaves.


the caterpillar finds a place to rest and starts to pupate


The same batch of caterpillars can produce pink or green pupas.

A jade green pupa. 07 Jan 2017


The day before eclosion, the pupa will turn transparent, showing the shapes of the butterfly insect.


A few hours later, they become even more detailed and the colour of the wings will show through. 07 Jan 2017

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