About Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus, 1758), commonly called the plain tiger, is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of approximately 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in). Its body is black with white spots, and its wings are brownish orange, with the upper wing surface being brighter and richer in color than the underside. The apical half of the forewing is black and marked with a white band. The hindwing has three black spots in its center, and the entire edge of the wings is bordered in black, lined with semicircular white spots. This species shows slight sexual dimorphism: males have large scent glands on their hindwings that females do not possess. From the underside, these glands appear as a large black spot with a white center. D. chrysippus is a polymorphic species, so exact coloration and patterning vary both within and between populations. It looks similar to the Indian fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius), and the two species may live in the same areas.
The plain tiger is found across the whole of Africa, where the most common subspecies is D. c. alcippus. Its range extends across most of Asia including the entire Indian subcontinent, as well as many South Pacific islands, and parts of Australia. The subspecies D. c. chrysippus is most common throughout Asia and in some selected regions of Africa, while D. c. orientis occurs in more tropical African regions and some African islands, including Madagascar and the Seychelles. It is also found in Southern Europe and Kuwait, and is considered a bioinvader in North America.
The plain tiger prefers arid, open areas, and occurs in a wide range of habitats including deserts, mountains, deciduous forests, and human-tended gardens in cities and parks. It can survive at altitudes ranging from sea level up to around 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
The plain tiger's larval host plants belong to several plant families, with the most important being Asclepiadoideae in the Apocynaceae family. Recorded larval host plants in this subfamily include Apteranthes burchardii (from the Canary Islands/Spain), multiple species of Asclepias (milkweeds: A. cancellata, A. coarctata, A. curassavica, A. fulva, A. kaessneri, A. lineolata, A. reflexa, A. scabrifolia, A. semilunata, A. stenophylla, A. swynnertonii, A. syriaca), Aspidoglossum interruptum, multiple species of Calotropis (mudar: C. gigantea, C. procera), Ceropegia dichotoma (from the Canary Islands/Spain), Cryptolepis dubia, multiple species of Cynanchum (C. abyssinicum, C. acutum, C. altiscandens, C. amplexicaule, C. carnosum, C. floribundum, C. pulchellum, C. rostellatum, C. sublanceolatum), multiple species of Gomphocarpus (G. fruticosus, G. physocarpus), Kanahia laniflora, Leichhardtia australis, Leptadenia lanceolata, Orbea variegata (from the Canary Islands/Spain), multiple species of Pentatropis (P. atropurpurea, P. quinquepartita), Pergularia daemia, Periploca linearifolia, multiple species of Secamone (S. afzelii, S. parvifolia, S. platystigma), Stapelia gigantea, multiple species of Stathmostelma (S. gigantiflorum, S. pedunculatum), and multiple species of Vincetoxicum (V. cernuum, V. sylvaticum, V. tanakae). Larval host plants from other plant families include Dyerophytum indicum (Plumbaginaceae), Ficus (Moraceae; recorded on F. laevis, F. racemosa), Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae; recorded on I. alba, I. bona-nox), Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Sapindaceae), as well as some members of Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Scrophulariaceae.
Adult plain tiger butterflies get nectar from a variety of flowering plants. The specific plants they feed on vary by the geographic location of the butterfly population and by season, as not all these plants flower year-round.
