Euploea algea

Euploea algea (Godart, 1819)
(previously known as Danais algea)
Long-Branded Blue Crow
DANAINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 15 September 2008)

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

These caterpillars are rusty brown underneath and have black and white bands on top. They have soft tentacles on the front and rear of the body which are quite harmless. The foodplants of the caterpillars have not yet been observed in Australia, but in New Guinea the Caterpillars feed on :

Figs ( Ficus species, MORACEAE ),

Dudhilata ( Ichnocarpus frutescens, APOCYNACEAE ), and

Swallowwort ( Cynanchum species, ASCLEPIADACEAE ).

The pupa is silver with brown markings. It often is formed hanging from a cremaster under a leaf of the foodplant

The adult butterflies are brownish black with a blue sheen, with white spots at the apices of the forewings with blue margins. The wings have other white spots scattered over the surfaces. The undersides are similar, but have reduced size spots. The adult butterflies have a wing span around 7 cms.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Various subspecies are found in Australasia and south-east Asia, including :

amycus in Australia on Cape York,

eleutho in Guam,

fruhstorferi in Indonesia,

menetriesii in the Malaysia, and

limborgii in Thailand.