Common Name: Plain Tiger
Scientific Name: Danaus chrysippus
Family: Nymphalidae
Size: 55-70mm (wingspan)
Location: Chitwan, Nepal
Found across Nepal from lowland plains to mid-hill forests (observed between 122–2,652 m), the Plain Tiger is one of the most familiar and eye-catching butterflies for nature-watchers.
Adults carry warm orange-brown wings edged in a bold black border with distinctive white spots; males usually show a scent/pheromone patch on the hindwing. Larvae feed on milkweed and related plants and sequester plant toxins (cardenolides/alkaloids), which make adults distasteful to predators, a trait that underpins their bright, warning coloration and role as a model for mimicry.
Tolerant of disturbed habitats, Plain Tigers nectar at flowers, mud-puddles, and glide slowly along roadsides, gardens, and forest edges.
Please feel free to comment below if the above species has been misidentified.
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