<> Tirumala limniace (Cramer,[1775]) <>

the Broad Blue Tiger ผีเสื้อลายเสือฟ้าแถบกว้าง

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Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂ 400m a.s.l.

A fairly common and widespread species. Slow undulating flight. There is very little difference in colour and markings between sexes but the female is slightly larger. Multivoltine with several broods per annum. Very enthusiastic nectar feeders which is when they are most often seen.

Synonyms and previously used names: Papilio limniace, Danais limniace, Danaida limniace, Danaus limniace

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Danainae - Tirumala - limniace

Regional Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines

Habitat: wide range of different habitats up to 2500m a.s.l. Wingspan: 70-80mm

Flight time: all year depending on location

Life History: egg 3-4 days instar 1 2-3 days instar 2 2-3 days instar 3 2-3 days instar 4 2-3 days instar 5 3-4 days pupa 7-8 days Total egg to adult 21-28 days. All times approximate.

Larval Hosts: Asclepias curassavica, Calotropis gigantea, Calotropis procera, Cosmostigma cordatum, Cynanchum annularium, Cynanchum ovalifolium, Heterostemma brownii, Heterostemma cuspidatum, Holarrhena pubescens, Marsdenia lachnostoma, Marsdenia tenacissima, Pentatropis capensis, Stephanotis volubilis, Telosma pallida, Vallaris solanacea, Vincetoxicum dalzellii, Vincetoxicum indicum, Wattakaka volubilis (Apocynaceae), Saccharum officinarum (Poaceae), Crotalaria retusa (Fabaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Nectar - Leea indica (Vitaceae), Bauhinia championii, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria retusa, Cytisus scoparius (Fabaceae), Duranta erecta, Lantana camara, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Verbena rigida (Verbenaceae), Adenostemma lavenia, Ageratina adenophora, Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Chromolaena odorata, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Gynura nitida, Helichrysum bracteatum, Parthenium hysterophorus, Sphagneticola trilobata, Tagetes erecta, Taraxacum javanicum, Tridax procumbens, Vernonia conyzoides, Youngia japonica (Asteraceae), Ehretia laevis, Ehretia pubescens, Heliotropium indicum, Trichodesma indicum, Trichodesma zeylanica (Boraginaceae), Leucas lamiifolia, Plectranthus barbatus, Rotheca serrata, Vitex negundo (Lamiaceae), Cestrum aurantiacum, Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae), Hypericum japonicum, Hypericum mysorense (Hypericaceae), Justicia japonica (Acanthaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Oplismenus undulatifolius (Poaceae), Oxalis latifolia (Oxalidaceae), Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae), Trichilia connaroides (Meliaceae), Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Icacinaceae), Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Myrtaceae), Oenothera rosea (Onagraceae), Prinsepia utilis, Rubus ellipticus (Rosaceae), Rhamnus wightii (Rhamnaceae), Euphorbia milii, Euphorbia rothiana (Euphorbiaceae), Celosia argentea (Amaranthaceae), Terminalia pallida (Combretaceae). Other - rarely seen mud puddling although they have been recorded doing so during migration in India.