LIFECYCLE OFTAILED JAY (Graphium agamemnon)

Day 1 : Egg Laying

The female laid the egg on tender leaves of Polyalthia longifolia at around 2 pm. The height at which the egg was laid - 2 feet from the ground.

Day 3 : Caterpillar emerges

The first instar feeds on the tender leaves on which the egg was laid.

Day 4 : Second Instar

The caterpillar sheds its moult to enter into second instar.The caterpillar moves up to the next leaf in the bunch of tender leaves bunch.

Day 5 : Third & Fourth Instar

The first and second instar feed on almost 3 tender leaves and the third instar was observed on day 5 . This specimen was quiet a voracious eater . He quickly finished the 4th tender leaf and moved up to a higher elevation for want of food. He was placed at around 3 foot to the next tender leaf.

The alert position he asummed under threat.

Day 8: Fifth Instar

The fifth Instar initially was about the size of 25 cm but grew to almost double its size in the later stages making it very prominent.It moved to an overall height of 4 feet up the tree in the end.

Day 13 : Pupation

The pupation started in the afternoon around 3pm on the 13th day. Initially form the green structure with the brownish and golden markings appearing around 5pm.

Day 24 : Butterfly Ecloses

The butterfly emerged in the morning around 8am .

(empty pupal case )