<> Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus,1758) <>

the Plain Tiger หรือหนอนใบรักธรรมดา

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Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂ 380m a.s.l.

Danaus chrysippus is a common and widespread species helped by its acceptance of a wide range of larval host plants and a relatively short life cycle period. Male and female are similar in appearance but can be told apart by the androconia or scent scales on the male hindwing. It has a slow undulating flight, with shallow wing beats. When at rest or puddling it usually closes its wings unless basking which it usually does close to the ground. In the early morning it often congregates at Senna bushes with other Danaid species to feed on pyrrolizidine alkaloids oozing from the stems and seed pods. When absorbed these alkaloids make them unpalatable and the bright colouration of the butterfly is a warning to any potential predators. The protection this gives is the reason why several other butterfly species mimic chrysippus and other Danaus species.

The species is multivoltine with several broods per annum. The female only lays around 10-12 eggs but singly, just one egg on the underside of each leaf on the host plant. Unfortunately the larvae can be attacked by the host-specific parasitoid wasp Apanteles chrysippi which accounts for a large percentage of larval mortalities.

Synonyms and previously used names: Papilio chrysippus, Anosia chrysippus, Papilio aegyptius, Papilio asclepiadis, Limnas alcippoides, Limnas bowringi, Papilio alcippus, Danaida chrysippus, Danais dorippus, Panlymnas chrysippus

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Danainae - Danaus - chrysippus

Regional subspecies: D.c.bataviana (Indonesia), D.c.bowringi (Indonesia), D.c.chrysippus (India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines), D.c.cratippus (Indonesia), D.c.fuscippus (E.Indonesia)

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

Sri Lanna National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂ 420m a.s.l.

Habitat: Danaus chrysippus is found in a wide range of habitats including evergreen and deciduous forest, open grassland, scrubland, and urban parks & gardens. Recorded at elevations up to 2700m a.s.l.

Flight time: all year depending on location Wingspan: 55-70mm

Life History: egg 3-5 days instar 1 2 days instar 2 2 days instar 3 2 days instar 4 2-3 days instar 5 3-4 days pupa 6-10 days Total egg to adult 20-28 days. All times are approximate.

Larval Hosts: Asclepias curassavica, Boucerosia umbellata, Calotropis gigantea, Calotropis procera, Caralluma adscendens, Carissa spinarum, Ceropegia media, Cryptolepis buchananii, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Cynanchum boudieri, Cynanchum graphistemmatoides, Cynanchum ovalifolium, Cynanchum pulchellum, Cynanchum rostellatum, Cynanchum tunicatum, Gomphocarpus fruticosus, Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Hoya carnosa, Marsdenia tenacissima, Pentatropis capensis, Pergularia daemia, Stapelia gigantea, Stapelia grandiflora, Tagetes erecta, Vincetoxicum amplexicaule, Vincetoxicum atratum, Vincetoxicum carnosum, Vincetoxicum chinense, Vincetoxicum dalzellii, Vincetoxicum indicum, Vincetoxicum sublanceolatum, Vincetoxicum tanakae, Wattakaka volubilis (Apocynaceae), Dyerophytum indicum (Plumbaginaceae), Ficus racemosa, Ficus laevis (Moraceae), Ipomoea alba (Convolvulaceae), Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Sapindaceae), Crotalaria spectabilis (Fabaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Nectar - Duranta erecta, Lantana camara, Phyla nodiflora, Stachytarpheta cayennesis, Stachytarpheta indica, Verbena rigida (Verbenaceae), Ageratina adenophora, Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Chromolaena odorata, Cosmos bipinnatus, Crassocephalum cerpidioides, Gaillardia pulchella, Gynura nitida, Gynura procumbens, Lagasca mollis, Parthenium hysterophorus, Sphagneticola trilobata, Taraxacum javanicum, Tithonia diversifolia, Tridax procumbens, Xerochrysum bracteatum, Youngia japonica, Zinnia elegans (Asteraceae), Ehretia aspera, Heliotropium indicum, Trichodesma indicum, Trichodesma zeylanicum (Boraginaceae), Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae), Asclepias curassavica, Calotropis gigantia, Catheranthus roseus (Apocynaceae), Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae), Asystasia gangetica, Rostellularia procumbens (Acanthaceae), Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria pallida, Crotalaria retusa, Cytisus scoparius (Fabaceae), Coleus barbatus, Leucas lamiifolia, Premna serratifolia, Rotheca serrata, Vitex negundo (Lamiaceae), Celosia argentea, Gomphrena globosa (Amaranthaceae), Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae), Euphorbia milii, Euphorbia rothiana (Euphorbiaceae), Leea rubra (Vitaceae), Cestrum aurantiacum, Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae), Hypericum japonicum, Hypericum mysurense (Hypericaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Oplismenus undulatifolius (Poaceae), Oxalis latifolia (Oxalidaceae), Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae), Heynea trijuga (Meliaceae), Mappia nimmoniana (Icacinaceae), Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae), Oenothera rosea (Onagraceae), Prinsepia utilis, Rubus ellipticus (Rosaceae), Rhamnus wightii (Rhamnaceae). Other - mud puddling, animal dung.