D.
genutia is distributed
throughout India, Sri
Lanka, Myanmar and
extending to South East
Asia and Australia
(except New Guinea). At
least in the South Asian
part of its range it is
fairly common, locally
very common. This
butterfly occurs in
scrub jungles,
fallowland adjacent to
habitation, dry and
moist deciduous forests,
preferring areas of
moderate to heavy
rainfall. Also occurs in
degraded hill slopes and
ridges, both, bare or
denuded, and, those
covered with secondary
growth. They are often
kept as pets, like dogs
and cats. Its host
plants are sold in
open-air markets, just
like pet food is sold in
this country. Good luck
(karma) is said to
accrue by the careful
breeding and humane
treatment of this
precious insect.
While it is a strong
flier, it never flies
rapidly or high. It has
stronger and faster
strokes than the Plain
Tiger. The butterfly
ranges forth in search
of its host and nectar
plants. It visits
gardens where it nectars
on the flowers of
Adelocaryum, Cosmos,
Celosia, Lantana, Zinnia
and similar flowers. |
The caterpillar (larva) of the common tiger has several thousand muscles. The human body only has about 500.
Photo: School of Ecology and
Conservation, UAS Bangalore
<kchandra58 @ yahoo.co.in>
|
Members of this genus are
leathery, tough to kill and fake
death. Since they are unpleasant to
smell and taste, they are soon
released by the predators, recover
and fly off soon thereafter.
The butterfly sequesters toxins from
its foodplants of the family
Asclepiadaceae. The butterflies also
congregate with other danaiines to
sip from the sap of Crotolaria,
Heliotropium and other plants which
provide the pyrrrolizidine alkaloids
which they sequester. A study in
Northeastern India showed a
preference to foraging on Crotalaria
juncea compared to Bauhinia
purpurea, Barleria cristata rosea
and Nerium oleander. To advertise
their unpalatability, the butterfly
has prominent markings with a
striking colour pattern. The Striped
Tiger is mimicked by both sexes of
the Indian Tamil Lacewing Cethosia
nietneri mahratta and the Leopard
Lacewing Cethosia cyane and females
of the Common Palmfly Elymnias
hypermnestra. -- From Wikipedia
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