Morphometrical Parameters on the Development of Common Jay Butterfly, Graphium doson (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) on Ashoka Tree, Saraca asoca

The observations on the development and morphological appearance of common jay butterfly, Graphium doson (C. & R. Felder, 1864) were made on Saraca asoca (Ashoka Tree) in the campus of Gandhi Faiz-e-Aam College, Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The complete cycle of metamorphosis was observed and it completed through various developmental stages via egg, larva, pupa and adult. Eggs were usually spherical and smooth with average diameter of 1.10±0.09 mm. They were deposited singly on the lower or upper surface of tender leaves and shoot of plant. The eggs hatched in 3.46±0.12 days and their life cycle started. The caterpillars passed through five larval instars to become adults. Their average size of early and late developmental stages was recorded as 2.12±0.12 mm to 5.60±0.16 mm, 6.50±0.14 mm to 7.60±0.16 mm, 8.60±0.16 mm to 14.56±0.19 mm, 16.10±0.15 mm to 23.00±0.19 mm and 26.80±0.18 mm to 41.60±0.21 mm for first, second, third, fourth and fifth instar, respectively. The average duration of above mentioned larval stages were 3.40 ± 0.12, 1.76 ± 0.09, 2.70 ± 0.11, 3.50 ± 0.12 and 4.60 ± 0.12 days. The colour of first and second instars was dark brown to black with a white patch at the abdomen. The colour of third, fourth and fifth instar caterpillars was now become light to bright green before pupation. The pupae of Graphium doson was obtect type with average size of 28.80±0.23 mm. The black coloured adult butterflies with blue or greenish streak and spots emerged from the pupae after 8.40±0.15 days. The average wing span and longevity of butterflies were 68.20±2.33 mm and 13.40±1.16 days, respectively. The sexual dimorphism was displayed by the adult common jay butterflies, the females were slightly larger than the males.