Danaus genutia, the common tiger,[1][2] is one of the common butterflies of India. It belongs to the "crows and tigers", that is, the Danainae group of the brush-footed butterflies family. The butterfly is also called striped tiger in India to differentiate it from the equally common plain tiger, Danaus chrysippus.[3] The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1779.
The butterfly closely resembles the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) of the Americas. The wingspan is 70 to 95 millimetres (2.8 to 3.7 in). Both sexes of the butterfly have tawny wings with veins marked with broad black bands. The male has a pouch on the hindwing.[4][5][6] The margins of the wings are black with two rows of white spots. The underside of the wings resembles the upperside but is paler in colouration. The male common tiger has a prominent black-and-white spot on the underside of the hindwing.[3] In drier regions the tawny part of the hindwing pales and approaches white in colour making it very similar to the white tiger (D. melanippus).[6]
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.[3]
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.[3]
Defence against predators, mimicryedit
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 plants of the family Asclepiadaceae. The butterflies also congregate with other danaiines to sip from the sap of Crotalaria, Heliotropium and other plants which provide the pyrrolizidine alkaloids which they sequester.[3] A study in north-eastern India showed a preference to foraging on Crotalaria juncea compared to Bauhinia purpurea, Barleria cristata rosea and Nerium oleander.[7] 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).[8]
Life historyedit
This butterfly lays its egg singly under the leaves of any of its host plants of family Asclepiadaceae. The caterpillar is black and marked with bluish-white and yellow spots and lines. It has three pairs of tentacles on its body. It first eats the eggshell and then proceeds to eat leaves and vegetative parts of the plant. The chrysalis (pupa) is green and marked with golden-yellow spots.[3]
The caterpillar of the common tiger butterfly obtains a supply of poison by eating poisonous plants, which make the caterpillar and butterfly a distasteful morsel for predators. The most common food plants of the common tiger in peninsular India are small herbs, twiners and creepers from the family Asclepiadaceae, including:
It has some 16 subspecies; its evolutionary relationships are not completely resolved, but it appears to be closest to the Malay tiger (D. affinis) and white tiger.[10]
D. g. genutia (India to China, Sri Lanka, Andamans, Nicobars, Peninsular Malaya, Thailand, Langkawi, Singapore, Indochina, Taiwan, Hainan)
D. g. sumatrana Moore, 1883 (western and north-eastern Sumatra)
D. g. intermedia (Moore, 1883)
D. g. conspicua Butler, 1866 (southern Sulawesi)
D. g. niasicus Fruhstorfer, 1899 (Nias)
D. g. intensa (Moore, 1883) (Java, Bali, Bawean, Borneo)
D. g. partita (Fruhstorfer, 1897) (Lesser Sunda)
D. g. leucoglene C. & R. Felder, 1865 (northern Sulawesi)
D. g. tychius Fruhstorfer, 1910 (Selajar)
D. g. telmissus Fruhstorfer, 1910 (Butong Island)
D. g. wetterensis (Fruhstorfer, 1899) (Wetar Island, Timor)
D. g. laratensis (Butler, 1883) (Tanimbar Island)
D. g. kyllene Fruhstorfer, 1910 (Damar Island, Kai Island)
D. g. alexis (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) (Northern Territory to north-western Australia)
Bhuyan, M.; Deka, M.; Kataki, D. & Bhattacharyya, P. R. (2005). Nectar host plant selection and floral probing by the Indian butterfly Danaus genutia (Nymphalidae). Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera38: 79–84.
Kunte, Krushnamegh (2000). Butterflies of Peninsular India. India, A Lifescape. Hyderabad, India: Universities Press. ISBN978-8173713545.
Smith, David A. S.; Lushai, Gugs & Allen, John A. (2005). A classification of Danaus butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) based upon data from morphology and DNA. Zool. J. Linn. Soc.144(2): 191–212. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00169.x (HTML abstract)
^ abVarshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. p. 149. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN978-81-929826-4-9.
^ abSavela, Markku. "Danaus genutia (Cramer, [1779])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Bingham, Charles Thomas (1907). Fauna of British India. Butterflies Vol. 2. Taylor & Francis. pp. 10–11.
^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Moore, Frederic (1890–1892). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. I. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 45–48.
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January 01, 1970
danaus, genutia, common, tiger, common, butterflies, india, belongs, crows, tigers, that, danainae, group, brush, footed, butterflies, family, butterfly, also, called, striped, tiger, india, differentiate, from, equally, common, plain, tiger, danaus, chrysippu. Danaus genutia the common tiger 1 2 is one of the common butterflies of India It belongs to the crows and tigers that is the Danainae group of the brush footed butterflies family The butterfly is also called striped tiger in India to differentiate it from the equally common plain tiger Danaus chrysippus 3 The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1779 Common tiger Upperside Male underside Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Lepidoptera Family Nymphalidae Genus Danaus Species D genutia Binomial name Danaus genutia Cramer 1779 Synonyms Papilio genutia Cramer 1779 Danaus adnana Swinhoe 1917 Danaus plexippus plexippus f albipars Talbot 1943 Danaus bandjira Martin 1911 Danaus bimana Martin 1911 Danaida plexippus plexippus f grynion Fruhstorfer 1907 Danaus nipalensis Moore 1877 Danaus sumbana Talbot 1943 Danaus tuak Pryer amp Cator 1894 Danaus uniens Martin 1911 Salatura intermedia Moore 1883 Salatura intensa Moore 1883 Salatura laratensis Butler 1883 Danaida alexis Waterhouse amp Lyell 1914 Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and ecology 2 1 Defence against predators mimicry 2 2 Life history 3 Subspecies 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Footnotes 6 External linksDescription editThe butterfly closely resembles the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus of the Americas The wingspan is 70 to 95 millimetres 2 8 to 3 7 in Both sexes of the butterfly have tawny wings with veins marked with broad black bands The male has a pouch on the hindwing 4 5 6 The margins of the wings are black with two rows of white spots The underside of the wings resembles the upperside but is paler in colouration The male common tiger has a prominent black and white spot on the underside of the hindwing 3 In drier regions the tawny part of the hindwing pales and approaches white in colour making it very similar to the white tiger D melanippus 6 nbsp Pairing in Bihar India nbsp Egg nbsp Caterpillar nbsp Pupa nbsp Female in Kerala nbsp Male in Chiang MaiDistribution and ecology editD genutia is distributed throughout India 1 Sri Lanka Myanmar and extending to South East Asia and Australia except New Guinea 2 3 At least in the South Asian part of its range it is fairly common locally very common 6 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 3 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 3 Defence against predators mimicry edit 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 plants of the family Asclepiadaceae The butterflies also congregate with other danaiines to sip from the sap of Crotalaria Heliotropium and other plants which provide the pyrrolizidine alkaloids which they sequester 3 A study in north eastern India showed a preference to foraging on Crotalaria juncea compared to Bauhinia purpurea Barleria cristata rosea and Nerium oleander 7 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 8 Life history edit This butterfly lays its egg singly under the leaves of any of its host plants of family Asclepiadaceae The caterpillar is black and marked with bluish white and yellow spots and lines It has three pairs of tentacles on its body It first eats the eggshell and then proceeds to eat leaves and vegetative parts of the plant The chrysalis pupa is green and marked with golden yellow spots 3 The caterpillar of the common tiger butterfly obtains a supply of poison by eating poisonous plants which make the caterpillar and butterfly a distasteful morsel for predators The most common food plants of the common tiger in peninsular India are small herbs twiners and creepers from the family Asclepiadaceae including Asclepias curassavica 3 Ceropegia intermedia 3 9 Cynanchum dalhousieae 9 Raphistemma pulchellum 9 Stephanotis species 3 including S floribunda 9 Tylophora tenuis 3 Subspecies editIt has some 16 subspecies its evolutionary relationships are not completely resolved but it appears to be closest to the Malay tiger D affinis and white tiger 10 D g genutia India to China Sri Lanka Andamans Nicobars Peninsular Malaya Thailand Langkawi Singapore Indochina Taiwan Hainan D g sumatrana Moore 1883 western and north eastern Sumatra D g intermedia Moore 1883 D g conspicua Butler 1866 southern Sulawesi D g niasicus Fruhstorfer 1899 Nias D g intensa Moore 1883 Java Bali Bawean Borneo D g partita Fruhstorfer 1897 Lesser Sunda D g leucoglene C amp R Felder 1865 northern Sulawesi D g tychius Fruhstorfer 1910 Selajar D g telmissus Fruhstorfer 1910 Butong Island D g wetterensis Fruhstorfer 1899 Wetar Island Timor D g laratensis Butler 1883 Tanimbar Island D g kyllene Fruhstorfer 1910 Damar Island Kai Island D g alexis Waterhouse amp Lyell 1914 Northern Territory to north western Australia See also editDanainae Nymphalidae List of butterflies of India List of butterflies of India Nymphalidae References editBhuyan M Deka M Kataki D amp Bhattacharyya P R 2005 Nectar host plant selection and floral probing by the Indian butterfly Danaus genutia Nymphalidae Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 38 79 84 PDF fulltext Evans W H 1932 The Identification of Indian Butterflies 2nd ed Mumbai India Bombay Natural History Society Kunte Krushnamegh 2000 Butterflies of Peninsular India India A Lifescape Hyderabad India Universities Press ISBN 978 8173713545 Smith David A S Lushai Gugs amp Allen John A 2005 A classification of Danaus butterflies Lepidoptera Nymphalidae based upon data from morphology and DNA Zool J Linn Soc 144 2 191 212 doi 10 1111 j 1096 3642 2005 00169 x HTML abstract Wynter Blyth Mark Alexander 1957 Butterflies of the Indian Region Bombay India Bombay Natural History Society ISBN 978 8170192329 Footnotes edit a b Varshney R K Smetacek Peter 2015 A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India New Delhi Butterfly Research Centre Bhimtal amp Indinov Publishing New Delhi p 149 doi 10 13140 RG 2 1 3966 2164 ISBN 978 81 929826 4 9 a b Savela Markku Danaus genutia Cramer 1779 Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms Retrieved July 1 2018 a b c d e f g h i j k Kunte 2000 45 pp 148 149 nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Bingham Charles Thomas 1907 Fauna of British India Butterflies Vol 2 Taylor amp Francis pp 10 11 nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Moore Frederic 1890 1892 Lepidoptera Indica Vol I London Lovell Reeve and Co pp 45 48 a b c Wynter Blyth 1957 p 69 Bhuyan et al 2005 Wynter Blyth 1957 p 56 a b c d Wynter Blyth 1957 p 493 Smith et al 2005 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danaus genutia Sri Lanka Wild Information Database Archived 2011 07 18 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Danaus genutia amp oldid 1194013026, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
