Objective To study the behavior characteristics of the adultDanaus chrysippus.

Method The adult butterflies D. chrysippus were observed by tracking the flying, feeding, courtship, mating and ovipositing behavior in the field of the net-house.

Result The eclosion mainly occurred at the 8:00—10:00. The adults were in the stop or rest status at the day of emergence. The daily average flying time and frequencies gradually increased from the second day of eclosion to the day of mating. The flying peak time of males were at 13:00—15:00, while two flying peak were observed in females at 9:00—11:00 and 15:00—17:00. There was no significant difference between male and female adults in the daily average flight number, times and the daily flight rule (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant positive correlation between the number of flights and the time of flight in both sex (p < 0.05). The feeding behavior began at the second day of eclosion. The daily average feeding time and frequencies also gradually increased. The daily feeding activity peak of male is 9:00—11:00, on the female flower visiting peak is 11:00—13:00 and 15:00—17:00. There was no significant difference between male and female adults in the daily average feeding number, times and the daily feeding rule (p > 0.05), and no significant positive correlation was found between the feeding frequency and feeding time in both sex (p > 0.05). The first mating behavior occurred at the fourth day after eclosion. The male and female can mate more than once in their whole lives. Mating occurred mainly at 14:00—16:00, while egg-laying occurred mainly at 11:00—13:00. Most of eggs were deposited in a dispersed manner on the back of host leaves.

Conclusion The adult stage of D. chrysippus can be divided into four, i.e. motion organ mature stage, nutritional supplements and promote reproductive organ development stage, courtship and mating stage, and oviposition stage. In each stage, the behavior has a cross.