A study on the life cycle of Danaus chrysippus Linnaeus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) in Bushehr, Iran

Danaus chrysippus L. (Lep.: Nymphalidae) is the most important pest on Calotropis procera Ait. in Bushehr, Iran. The larvae feed on the leaves and make some damages and losses on host. This study was carried out on D. chrysippus life cycle in Bushehr from 2006 to 2007. The sampling was carried out weekly by two stage cluster sampling method in nature. For the life cycle studies, the eggs were collected from the nature and were developed in petri dishes and 10×12 plastic dishes from egg to adult under laboratory conditions (25±2ºC and 22±2ºC, %60±10 RH and 16/8 L:D). The results showed that the first adults emerged gradually in February 2006. During the summer and the winter in 2007, any forms of this butterfly have not been observed in Abpakhsh. Incubation period of eggs were 3.4 and 4.5 days; Developmental period of larvae were 12.5 and 19.1 and for pupae 9.8 and 14.6 days under temperatures of 25 and 22˚C at the laboratory conditions respectively. The total period from egg to adult was 26.07±0.8 and 37.08±0.5 days in 25 and 22ºC respectively at laboratory conditions. This butterfly had 5 overlaped generations in a year.