Danaid eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)

Danaid eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus) is a species of butterfly belonging to the Nymphalidae family. It is known for its polymorphism and mimicry; the males are blackish with distinctive white patches surrounded by a blue sheen, while the females appear in various forms—some resembling the males, and others closely mimicking toxic butterfly species.

The males are monomorphic, with a velvety, brownish-black upperside on their wings. Adult males are particularly active in the afternoon, especially following rainfall.



The forewings feature broad, oval-shaped white patches between veins 3 and 7, with an additional, smaller patch located near the apex. These patches are crossed by black veins and encircled by an iridescent blue hue, which is visible only from certain angles.

The hindwings also bear large white patches; however, the veins crossing them are yellowish and less prominent than those on the forewings. There are several white spots along the tornal area, and the wing margins are adorned with a pattern of white and black.

The underside of the forewing is a light chestnut brown, deepening in color at the base of the spaces between veins 1 and 2, as well as within the discal cell. The discal area exhibits a dark brown (fuscous) tone. The apical half is golden-brown, while the base of the costal margin is decorated with white spots. Within the discal cell, there are three white patches, with the anterior portion appearing black.

Beyond the end of the discal cell lies a narrow, short, transverse white mark. A broad, oval white patch extends from the costal margin to the middle of the space between vein 2 and the adjacent vein, bordered by a faint black outline. The white patch near the apex—similar to the one on the upperside—lacks a blue border and continues toward the rear as a series of small white spots across the postdiscal area. A series of white, crescent-shaped marks (lunules) on the inner and outer sides, separated by a wavy black line, followed by a black line along the wing margin.

The hindwing is chestnut-red in the basal and postdiscal areas. At the base of vein 8, there is a black spot bordered by white lines. A very broad white band in the medio-discal area extends from the costal margin to the dorsum (the hind margin of the wing), interrupted at the end of the interveinal space 1a by a transverse black mark.

Beyond the middle of interspace 7, this band contains a broad black bar, with the interspace itself bordered by black on its inner side. A series of small white spots in the postdiscal area continues the row of spots found on the forewing. There is an inner subterminal row consisting of small, triangular white spots, followed by an outer subterminal line composed of thin, crescent-shaped white markings.

A wavy black line separates these two rows, eventually merging to form a black terminal line. The cilia on both the forewing and hindwing exhibit an alternating pattern of white and black. The antennae, head, thorax, and abdomen are dark brown. The underside of the palpi and thorax is white, while the abdomen is reddish-brown (chestnut).

The female is polymorphic; in the first form, the upperside of the forewing is a deep, yellowish-brown. Black coloration extends along the costa, the apical half, and the termen. The inner boundary of this black area follows a line that crosses the wing cell diagonally, then curves toward interspace 1a. A prominent white spot is situated just beyond the end of the wing cell.

The forewing also features an oblique band composed of elongated white spots, accompanied by a short row of smaller white spots (three or four in number) near the subapical region. Two rows of small, crescent-shaped white spots are arranged transversely near the outer margin of the wing.

The hindwing is marked by a rounded spot in interspace 7 and a broad black outer margin. This black marginal area is traversed by two rows of small, paired, crescent-shaped white spots. The cilia along the margins of the forewing and hindwing are white, alternating with black. The underside of the wings is a paler yellowish-brown, contrasting with the deeper yellowish-brown found in the center of the forewings. The pattern on the underside closely mirrors that of the upperside.

The forewing features three white spots arranged along the leading edge of the discal cell, while the black area at the tip—situated beyond the diagonal band of white spots—is replaced by a striking golden hue. The hindwing bears a black spot at the base of vein 8 and another at the base of cell 5, accompanied by a row of small white spots crossing the area beyond the center of the wing. These patterns serve as key diagnostic features for identifying this form.

The second form resembles the first but includes a white discal patch on both the upperside and underside of the hindwings.

The third form is very similar to the first, with variations on the forewing: the diagonal row of elongated spots appears yellowish, and the center of the black apical area carries a brownish tint.

The larva is cylindrical and black, with a darker, more intense black dorsal stripe running along its back. The body is adorned with transverse bands of small, pale brown, raised spots that contrast against the dark coloration. The ventral side is a dark olive-brown, while the legs and head are brick-red. The head bears two long, thick, branched black spines, which serve as a defensive adaptation. The remaining body segments feature a total of 10 translucent, dull-white branched spines arranged in longitudinal rows.

The pupa is a hanging, short, and stout structure, with an overall form that aids in camouflage. It is light brown in color and lacks metallic spots, allowing it to blend in effectively among the foliage. The pupa exhibits varied color patterns with dark brown streaks—particularly around the head and tail regions—which provide additional adaptation to its environment.

TAXON

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe: Junoniini
Genus: Hypolimnas Hübner (1819)
Species: Hypolimnas misippus Linnaeus (1764)

SYNONYMS

Diadema bolina
Hypolimnas alcippoides Butler (1883)
Hypolimnas diocippus Cramer (1775)
Hypolimnas dorippoides Aurivillius
Hypolimnas horina Tanaka (1941)
Hypolimnas immima Bernardi (1959)
Hypolimnas inaria Cramer (1782)
Hypolimnas luculentus Murayama & Shimonoya (1966)
Hypolimnas maria Cramer (1779)
Hypolimnas misippus immima Bernardi (1959)
Hypolimnas pallens Nire (1917)
Hypolimnas picta Fruhstorfer (1912)

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Blouglans, Gewone Na-aper
Australia: Danaid Eggfly
Chinese (simplified): 金斑蛱蝶
Chinese (traditional): 金斑蛺蝶 - 雌擬幻蛺蝶 - 雌紅紫蛺蝶
Dutch: Valse monarchvlinder
English: Danaid eggfly, Common diadem, False plain tiger, Mimic, Mimic diadem
Finnish: Valemonarkki
French: Diadème, Faux-Monarque, Nymphale du pourpier, Ové mime
Hebrew: נימפית הרגלה
Hong Kong: 金斑蛺蝶
Hopetown: Gewone Na-aper
Indonesia: Kupu-kupu limas
Japanese: メスアカムラサキ
Java: Kupu limas
Korean: 암붉은오색나비
Macao: 金斑蛺蝶
Maharashtra: छोटा चांदवा
Marathi: छोटा चांदवा
Spanish: Falsa Mariposa Tigre
Taiwan: 雌紅紫蛺蝶
Thai: ผีเสื้อปีกไข่เมียเลียน
Turkish: Hipolimnas

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