Tirumala septentrionis DATASHEET

 

<> Tirumala septentrionis  (Butler,1874) <>

the Dark Blue Tiger     ผีเสื้อลายเสือฟ้าเข้ม

 

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Tirumala septentrionis
Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 460m a.s.l.

A widespread species but not as common as its sister species T.limniace. Slow gliding flight. Sexes are very similar in appearance. In early morning the males often congregate with some other Danaid species to feed on pyrrolizidine alkaloids oozing from the stems and seed pods of Senna bushes. Multivoltine with several broods per annum.

Synonyms and previously used names:    Danais melissa, Danaida melissa, Danais septentrionis

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

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

Habitat:  evergreen and deciduous forest, hillsides up to 2000m a.s.l.                               Wingspan:  80-90mm

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   22-28 days.    All times approximate. 

Larval Hosts:  Calotropis gigantea, Cosmostigma cordatum, Heterostemma brownii, Heterostemma tanjorense, Vallaris solanacea, Wattakaka volubilis (Apocynaceae), Cocculus laurifolius, Diploclisia glaucescens (Menispermaceae), Gluta usitata (Anacardiaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - Duranta erecta, Lantana camara, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Verbena rigida (Verbenaceae), Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria retusa, Cytisus scoparius (Fabaceae), Ageratina adenophora, Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum cerpidioides, Crassocephalum rubens, Gynura nitida, Helichrysum bracteatum, Parthenium hysterophorus, Spilanthes paniculata, Tagetes erecta, Taraxacum javanicum, Tridax procumbens, Vernonia conyzoides, Youngia japonica (Asteraceae), Heliotropium indicum, Trichodesma zeylanica (Boraginaceae), Cestrum aurantiacum, Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae), Hypericum japonicum, Hypericum mysorense (Hypericaceae), Justicia japonica (Acanthaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Oplismenus undulatifolius (Poaceae), Oxalis latifolia (Oxalidaceae), Leucas lamiifolia, Plectranthus barbatus, Rotheca serrata (Lamiaceae), 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)Other - mud puddling (occasional).

Tirumala septentrionis
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Tirumala septentrionis
Luang Prabang, Laos

Tirumala septentrionis
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, a nectar source

Calotropis gigantea
Calotropis gigantea, a larval host

Cocculus laurifolius
Cocculus laurifolius, another larval host


Butterflies of Thailand and SE Asia  -  BugsAlive Species Information Sheet
© All images are the copyright of Tim Stratford

 

                     Links to other pages in this series for species in the same subfamily

Danaus genutia
Euploea radamanthus
Tirumala septentrionis