| English Name : |
Danaid Eggfly |
| Family : |
Nymphalidae (Brush footed) |
| Scientific Name : |
Hypolimnas misippus Linnaeus, 1764 |
| Wing Span (Size) |
70 -85 mm |
| Description : |
The male is jet-black above, which is thrown into contrast by two glistening white oval spots – a large spot on the hind wing and small one on the forewing. Near the tip of the forewing is another smaller white spot. The underside is light rusty-brown with a golden-yellow tinge. A broad white band on the hind wing and a narrow one on the forewing are distinct. The female is tawny with the apex of forewing colored black and with a white band. The borders of the hind wings are black with a series of wavier marginal white lunules. The underside is similar but paler. This butterfly is a superb example of sexual dimorphism. The female mimics (Batesian mimicry) Plain Tiger butterfly, which is unpalatable due to presence of toxins, hence model. |
| Habits & Habitats : |
Strong fast flight. Territorial in nature. Prefers flowers. Fond of basking. Seen in countryside, forest tracks and edges of streams. |
| Distribution : |
Throughout India |
| Larval Host Plants: |
Asystasia lawiana, Barleria cristata, Abelmoschus sp., Hibiscus sp. |
| Best Seen In : |
March to May, mostly during monsoon, November |
| Status : |
Common, Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 |
| References : |
- Ghatak, Sumita & Arjan Basu Rai (2013)(Edited & Compiled). A Pictorial Guide – Butterflies of Gorumara National Park, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division-II, Aranya Bhawan, Jalpaigudi, W.B.
- Haribal, Meena. The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation, Gangtok, Sikkim.
- Kunte, Krushnamegh (2000). India-A Lifescape Butterflies of Peninsular India. University Press, Hyderabad, A.P.
- Singh, Arun Pratap (2011). Butterflies of India, Om Books International, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- Sondhi, Sanjay, Krushnamegh Kunte, Gaurav Agavekar, Rohan Lovelekar & Kedar Tokekar (2013).Butterflies of the Garo Hills, Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) & Indian Foundation for Butterflies (Bengaluru). Xvi+200pp.
- Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay.
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