Danaid Eggfly or Hypolimnas Misippuz

Kerala, the small state is noted for its wide variety of flora and fauna. There are 330 varieties of butterflies in the state, of which 37 are endemic to the region.

Danaid Eggfly or Hypolimnas Misippuz belonging to the Nymphalide family is an inhabitant of open country with moderate rainfall.

In adult males, the upper side is black with dark iridescent blue or violet ringed white, oval patches on both wings. Forewings have small oval spots in the apex. For females, the upper side is orange or orange brown and the forewings are with white-spotted, black apex and Costa. Wingspan of both the male and female are 70-85mm.

Danaid Eggflies are strong and energetic fliers. Males are highly territorial in nature and are more common than females. They are often found basking in the sun by resting on bushes or on the ground with continuous slow movement of the wings.

Danaid Eggfly visits flowers of Lantana, Common Zinnia, Ceylon Carissa, Sunflower, Aztec Marigold, Bachelor’s button, Golden Groundsel, Vipersbugloss, etc. They are also known as the Common Eggfly and the Diadem.

Danaid Eggflies are found in Pakisthan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean Islands and parts of Latin America.

Courtesy: http://birdwingtours.com/