Euploea core

"Common crow" redirects here. For the bird genus, see Corvus.

Common crow
E. c. core
Kumarakom, Kerala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Euploea
Species:
E. core
Binomial name
Euploea core
(Cramer, 1780)

Euploea core, also known as the common crow,[2][3] is a common butterfly found in South Asia[2] to Australia. In India it is also sometimes referred to as the common Indian crow,[3] and in Australia as the Australian crow.[3] It belongs to the crows and tigers subfamily Danainae (tribe Danaini).[3]

E. core is a glossy-black, medium-sized 85–95 mm (3.3–3.7 in) butterfly with rows of white spots on the margins of its wings. E. core is a slow, steady flier. Due to its unpalatability it is usually observed gliding through the air with a minimum of effort. As caterpillars, this species sequesters toxins from its food plant which are passed on from larva to pupa to the adult. While feeding, it is a very bold butterfly, taking a long time at each bunch of flowers. It can also be found mud-puddling with others of its species and often in mixed groups. The males of this species visit plants like Crotalaria and Heliotropium to replenish pheromone stocks which are used to attract a female during courtship.

Euploea core at thachangad

The common crow is the most common representative of its genus, Euploea. Like the tigers (genus Danaus), the crows are inedible and thus mimicked by other Indian butterflies (see Batesian mimicry). In addition, the Indian species of the genus Euploea show another kind of mimicry, Müllerian mimicry. Accordingly, this species has been studied in greater detail than other members of its genus in India.

  1. ^ Müller, C.J.; Tennent, W.J. (2011). "Euploea core". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T160339A5362889. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T160339A5362889.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. p. 152. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.
  3. ^ a b c d Savela, Markku. "Euploea core (Cramer, [1780])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.