Common Jezebel

*Delias eucharis*

Description
The Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis) is one of the most beautiful pierid butterflies in South and Southeast Asia. Named after the biblical Queen Jezebel for its boldly ornamented appearance, this species displays a striking combination of colours: bright yellow-orange undersides of the hindwings, crossed with bold black veins and bordered with white. The upperwings are white with black veins. This distinctive coloration serves as a warning to predators, as the Common Jezebel is unpalatable.

Identification Tips

• Upperside is white with black veins.
• Underside of hindwings is bright yellow-orange with bold black veins and a white border.
• Wingspan: 6.5–8.5 cm.
• Body is relatively slender with a black thorax and red abdomen tip.
• Flight is slow, fluttering, and often at canopy level.
• Gregarious in the larval stage; caterpillars are often seen feeding together.

Life Cycle & Behavior
The Common Jezebel undergoes complete metamorphosis. Females lay clusters of bright yellow eggs on the leaves of mistletoe plants. The caterpillars are dark brown with orange tubercles and are gregarious, feeding together on the host plant. They sequester toxic compounds from mistletoe, making both larvae and adults distasteful to birds. Adults are active year-round in tropical regions and are frequent visitors to flowers, especially Lantana. The chrysalis is bright yellow with black markings, conspicuously placed on the upper surface of leaves.

Host Plants & Habitat

• Caterpillar Host Plants: Various species of mistletoe (Loranthus and related genera).
• Adult Nectar Sources: Lantana, Eupatorium, Clerodendrum, and a wide range of garden flowers.
• Habitat: Open forests, wooded areas, gardens, and parks. Widely distributed across India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and Southeast Asia.

Conservation Status
Not Evaluated (IUCN). The Common Jezebel is generally common throughout its range and is frequently seen in urban and suburban gardens.

Identification Tips

White upperwings with black veins. Underside hindwings bright yellow-orange with bold black veins. Red abdominal tip.

Similar Species

*No similar species recorded yet.*

Related Species

* Other species in this family (to be linked manually).