Hypolimnas misippus

Description

The Danaid Eggfly is a medium-sized, sexually dimorphic butterfly famous for its Batesian mimicry. Males are predominantly black with large, iridescent blue-bordered white patches on both forewings and hindwings. Females are polymorphic, exhibiting various forms that mimic unpalatable Danaus species, most notably the Plain Tiger (*Danaus chrysippus*). Common female forms include *f. misippus* (mimicking *D. chrysippus* with orange-brown wings and black apex), *f. inaria* (yellowish-white), and *f. alcippoides* (white hindwings). The larvae are spiny, black with red spots, and feed on various host plants, primarily in the Portulacaceae family.