Life cycle Kallima inachus

1 life cycle

1.1 food plants
1.2 egg
1.3 larva
1.4 pupa

life cycle

chrysalis of orange oakleaf

in himalayas, butterfly multivoltine , flies april october. kehimkar (2009) records butterfly on wing in india april december.

in chongqing 1 generation has been recorded taking 50 days egg imago. egg period lasted 6 days, larval period 36 days, , involved 5 6 instars (usually 5) , pupation lasting 10 days. caterpillars bred @ temperatures of 22 31.5 °c (71.6 88.7 °f) , relative humidity of 48 98%. larval period reduced 36 days in natural conditions 16.8 23 days in captive breeding.

in study in china, in emei mountains (altitude 450 1,200 metres (1,480 3,940 ft)), butterfly has 3 generations year in first , second generations predominate. of second generation, along few of third , first generation, go through winter diapaused adults. second generation adults diapause in july.

butterflies of first generation, reared in captivity in emei mountain study, completed life cycle in 45 54 days, eggs taking 4 6 days, caterpillars 21 36 days , pupation 10 15 days. breeding took place in temperatures between 26.4 , 28.2 °c (79.5 , 82.8 °f) , humidity of 63.2% 84.7% on average.

investigations in artificial climate chamber reveal photoperiod , temperature play role in larval development , survival rate of larvae of k. inachus. photoperiods affect development period of larvae @ 20 °c (68 °f) not @ 25 °c (77 °f) , 30 °c (86 °f). temperature increased 20 °c 25 °c , 30 °c, developmental periods of larvae reduced under same photoperiod 31.7 36.0 days, 26.37 27.4 days , 21.0 21.5 days,respectively.

increasing temperature made increase in survival rate under different photoperiods. survival rate of larvae @ 20 °c, 25 °c, , 30 °c 80%–92%, 75%–95%, , 55%–85%, respectively. low survival rate @ 30 °c under photoperiod gradients requires artificial breeding of k. inachus done below temperature.

food plants

the larvae polyphagous, feeding on plants many families. list of food plants include:

urticaceae - girardinia diversifolia in india
polygonaceae - polygonum orientale in india
rosaceae - prunus persica in india
acanthaceae:

dicliptera chinensis in china
hygrophila salicifolia in japan
lepidagathis formosensis in taiwan
ruellia capitataus (syn. strobilanthes capitatus & s. pentastemonoides) in india , taiwan
rostellularia pracumbens in china
strobilanthes species, in china , japan, including:

s. flaccidifolius in japan
s. glandulifera in japan
s. tashiroi in japan





egg

in captive breeding in net garden, females have been recorded lay 245.7 eggs on average. has been increased 279.8 eggs per female supplementing nutrition.

larva

the late stage caterpillar velvety black, covered rather long yellowish hair. has large number of reddish spines; eleven on each segment, 1 dorsal, 2 subdorsal , 3 lateral on each side.

pupa

the pupa simple. has gently keeled thorax. abdomen displays series of small conical points dorsally. colour light brownish , pupa embellished slaty irrorations.