Butterflies...of Kerala 2

The Common Indian Crow, Euploea Core

The Common Crow (Euploea core) is a common butterfly found in South Asia. In India it is also sometimes referred to as the Common Indian Crow, and in Australia as the Australian Crow. It belongs to the Crows and Tigers subfamily of the Nymphalidae (Brushfooted butterflies).

It is found everywhere in India right up into the mountains till 8000 feet. Occasionally it swarms in the low wet jungles of South India due to the abundance of its food plants which are spread over three orders of plants.

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.

The Common Crow (Euploea core) is a glossy black butterfly with brown underside with white marks along the outer margins of the wing. The wingspan is about 8-9 cm and the body also has prominent white spots. 

Upper side dark brown,broadly paler along terminal margins. Fore and hind wing with sub terminal and terminal series of white spots; on fore wing spots more or less oval, curved inwards opposite apex, the latter series often incomplete, not reaching apex, the spots smaller; often there is a small costal spot, and very rarely a spot in apex of cell and one or more discal spots; on the hind wing the inner series of spots are elongate, the outer conical. Underside is similar, but ground-colour is more uniform; cell, costal and discal spots on both for and hind wing nearly always present.

It is found everywhere in India right up into the mountains till 8000 feet. Occasionally it swarms in the low wet jungles of South India due to the abundance of its food plants which are spread over three orders of plants.