Glassy Tiger

A Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) photographed in Anuradhapura

The Glassy Tiger belongs to the Danaid group of butterflies, which includes crows and Tigers. It's habitat includes India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Burma. Two subspecies have been identified but neither of them are consistent in markings or habitat. More info and images inside.

 

A pair of Glassy Tigers (Parantica aglea) photographed in Anuradhapura

The male Glassy Tiger has scent patches on the hind wing. The pouch on vein 1 is larger than the pouch on vein 2 and both pouches are  more visible on the underside than on the upper side. It is a very common butterfly in Sri Lanka and can be found up to an elevation of 5000 feet. It is found all over the island except for the north where it is uncommon. 

A Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) photographed in Anuradhapura

The flight of the Glassy Tiger is very weak and it flaps its wings a lot during flight. it spends most of its time within 5-10 feet of the ground and rarely visits the canopy.  It is often found in the company of other males in the Danaid family, when they gather on plants. The Glassy Tiger frequently visits flowers in the undergrowth for nectar and the male occasionally settles on wet soil.  

A Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) photographed in Anuradhapura

The Glassy Tiger mimics an unpalatable poisonous species of butterfly and is avoided by birds and lizards. It also has tough leathery skin which helps it survive the occasional attack. When it is attached, it fakes death and oozes a nauseating liquid which makes it smell and taste awful. It also has the ability to recover from an attack very quickly. 

A Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) photographed in Anuradhapura

Another shot of this butterfly can be found here http://devwijewardane.blogspot.com/2009/11/glassy-tiger.html

These images were captured with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens, in Anuradhapura.

Glassy Tiger

The Glassy Tiger is a common butterfly found at an altitude of up to 5000 feet, over most of the island. More info on the butterfly and the image inside.

Click here for techs.

With a wingspan of 65-80mm it is the slowest of the Danaids. It spends much of its time between 5 and 10 feet and rarely flies up into the canopy. It is the most shade loving of all the Danaids and is frequently seen nectaring on flowers in the undergrowth. It has a chemical defense that protects it against predators. When handled, it plays dead and emits a foul smelling substance. The sexes are similar.

The male has scent patches on the hind wing. The pouch shaped patch on vein 1 is larger than the pouch on vein 2. Both are more swollen and visible on the underside than on the upper side. The markings on the Glassy Tiger are uniformly grey. It is also the smallest butterfly in the group.

The Glassy Tiger is similar to the Blue Tiger, Dark Blue Tiger, Female Dark Wanderer and the Common Mime.

The fact that it is slow in flight probably helped me when it came to capturing the image above. I followed it as it settled on a number of different flowers until I finally got the shot I was after. I used the 100-400mm lens for this and therefore I didn't have to get too close to it. I came across this butterfly in the middle of the afternoon which is probably the worst time to photograph Butterflies. The best time to photograph them is early morning before they "warm up" in the sun and become more active. Make sure that your shadow does not fall on the subject when you approach it as that tends to disturb them.

I've got more shots of this butterfly at http://devwijewardane.blogspot.com/2010/04/glassy-tiger.html