Glassy Blue Tiger

Glassy Blue Tiger

Parantica aglea aglea Cramer – DANAIDAE

( = Danaus aglea ( Cramer ))

Photo: Amber Habib

Adult

Upperside dark brown with extensive transparent, bluish-white streaks and spots. FW cell streak divided lengthwise into 3 portions and an elongated streak below the cell. HW with broad discoidal streaks and spots.

Male

With 2 patches of scent scales.

Underside dark brown with more clearly defined markings. Scent scales black. Wingspan 70-85mm.

A butterfly of hilly regions, found up to 2000 m in the hills, mostly in areas of heavy rainfall. A weak flier compared to other Tigers, comes out of forests only to visit flowers of Lantana, Crotalaria sp, etc. a known migrant and frequents damp patches occasionally.

Larva

Dark reddish purple. Body with 2 sub-dorsal rows of round chrome-yellow spots, one each of lateral series of white dots and sub-lateral row of chrome – yellow spots and 2 pairs of black fleshy filaments on segments 3 and 12. Feeds mostly on plants of Asclepiadaceae, especially Tylophora camosa, T.tenuis, Cryptolepis elegans and on Buchanan’s Mango.

Distribution

India , Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hongkong.