The Plain Tiger butterfly and butterflies from this genus (Danaus) have a very short life cycle. The time it take from egg to adult is anywhere between 16-21 days ! For Plain Tiger the pupa period is between 5 to 7 days.
1. Two pupae the night before eclosion. The pupa case is now transparent, showing the color of the upperside of the wings.
2. A newly emerged female drying its wings.
4. A freshly emerged male resting on its host plant.
A few days ago, I noticed a female Plain Tiger fluttering around my Asclepias fruticosa , a relative of the Blood flower (Asclepias curassavica).
The female was feeding on the flowers and laying eggs on the leaves. I found many eggs and early instar caterpillars on the plant. The female returned the next few days and I noticed it favored the Asclepias over Calotropis as host plant.
