Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) View in CoL ( Nymphalidae ) *

L1; 01/XII/2020, nect. on A. unedo and Paraserianthes lophantha (Vent.) I.C. Nielsen , 15 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 18/XI/2019, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 19/VI/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 16/X/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 07/X/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 13/X/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 23/I/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 04/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 17/XI/2022, nect. on D. viscosa , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 20/X/2023, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 15/XI/2023, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 11/III/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 23/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 02/XI/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 10/XI/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 09/XII/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 17/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L6; 11/X/2020, nect. on G. fruticosus , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L11; 25/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L12; 01/XII/2020, nect. on A. unedo , 9 ex. v., JLR.; L14; 04/VIII/2019, nect. on G. fruticosus , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L14; 25/VII/2020, nect. on G. fruticosus and D. gnidium , 6 ex. v., JLR.; L14; 17/X/2021, nect. on D. gnidium , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L21; 29/VI/2023, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L23; 15/V/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L23; 14/VI/2021, nect. on G. fruticosus , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L25; 12/VI/2021, nect. on G. fruticosus , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L27; 27/VII/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L27; 29/VI/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L30; 27/VII/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L30; 02/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L36; 05/V/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L38; 20/XI/2023, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 15/V/2019, nect. on A. curassavica , 5 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 27/IX/2019, nect. on A. curassavica , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 25/XI/2019, nect. on A. curassavica and perch. on G. fruticosus , 5 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 31/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 10/VII/2020, nect. on A. curassavica and perch. on G. fruticosus , 12 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 05/IX/2020, nect. on G. fruticosus and A. curassavica , 9 ex. v., also larvae on G. fruticosus, JLR. ; L41; 14/V/2021, nect. on A. curassavica , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L46; 23/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L48; 01/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L60; 25/IX/2021, 11 ex. v., JLR.; L60; 15/IX/2019, nect. on G. fruticosus and A. curassavica , 9 ex. v., JLR.; L61; 25/IX/2021, nect. on A. curassavica , 7 ex. v., also numerous larvae on A. curassavica, JLR. ; L61; 03/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L63; 12/VI/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L65; 17/IX/2020, nect. on A. curassavica , 11 ex. v., JLR.; L69; 23/III/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L70; 27/X/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L71; 02/XII/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L73; 18/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L75; 13/VI/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L80; 18/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L82; 26/IX/2021, nect. on G. fruticosus and A. curassavica , 9 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 25/VII/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 05/IX/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 21/V/2022, nect. on G. fruticosus , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L102; 19/IX/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L109; 11/X/2023, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L113; 01/XI/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L116; 10/X/2020, 5 ex. v., JLR.; L119; 01/XI/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L120; 10/IX/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L125; 30/IX/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L134; 28/XI/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L135; 05/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L137; 16/X/2023, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L139; 17/X/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L139; 05/II/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L140; 29/XI/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L145; 13/XII/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L145; 01/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L148; 14/II/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L148; 01/XI/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L149; 16/X/2020, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L149; 01/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L150; 05/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L150; 01/XI/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L151; 09/IX/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L155; 21/I/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L157; 05/V/2019, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L157; 14/VII/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.

Comment: Bacallado Aránega et al. (2012) reported this species from “ CeutA And its surroundings” without specific dAtA. TArrier & DelAcre (2008) reported wAndering individuAls At “Fnideq (Oued Smir) neAr SebtA ” in December 2004, A site corresponding to the mouth of the Oued Smir river (M’diq- Fnideq prefecture, ~ 17 km south of Ceuta). Tarrier (2025d) later confirmed the presence of an established colony there and identified another, more localized, colony at Taghramt (Haus mountain range), approximately 13 km southwest of Ceuta. Thus, D. plexippus is well established with breeding populations in the northernmost part of the Tingitan Peninsula. In Morocco only 4 10× 10 km UTM squares are known to contain established colonies. In Ceuta, records have been collected from 48 localities within 23 1× 1 km UTM squares, with observations in every month of the year, though most sightings occur between June and early November. Adults primarily nectar on A. curassavica and G. fruticosus , but have also been observed nectaring on the flowers and inflorescences of D. viscosa , A. unedo , and P. lophantha . Larvae, occasionally in large numbers (e.g., locality L61), have been found on A. curassavica and G. fruticosus . These findings confirm the presence of a well-established breeding population in Ceuta.