Larva: Eggs hatches on the fourth or fifth day. The first instar is a small, pearly white caterpillar with a prominent black head and dark grey legs. It has small paired tubercles on second and twelfth segments, which are precursors of future tentacles. The second instar is larger and begins to show up purplish ground colour with white, oval and round spots similar to what is seen on the mature caterpillar. There are four longitudinal rows of round spots – two dorsal and two lateral rows on each side. All the spots in the lateral rows and those on the first two segments and the last three segments are yellow. There is a pair of small tentacles on the second segment and a pair of tubercles on the twelfth segment. In the third and fourth instars the basic morphology remains the same except that the caterpillar grows in length and thickness, the tentacles elongates and the white spots gradually turn yellow on all segments. The fifth instar is about 6–7 cm long with long, thin, black tentacles on second and twelfth segments, the first pair being longer. In this stage all the white spots of the four longitudinal rows have turned yellow, with dark purple ground colour. The other smaller spots and short streaks remain grayish white. The caterpillar takes 14–15 days to complete its growth before it prepares for pupation.