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Parantica aglea, commonly known as the glassy tiger,[1][2] is a butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm. The species is a member of the Danainae subfamily of the Nymphalidae family.[1][2]
| Glassy tiger | |
|---|---|
_female_underside.jpg)
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| Underside | |
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| Upperside | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Parantica |
| Species: | P. aglea
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| Binomial name | |
| Parantica aglea (Stoll, 1782)
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| Synonyms | |
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Danais aglea | |
Description edit
Two subspecies are recognized but neither form is consistent in markings or habitat. In the collection of the British Museum, there are specimens of true Parantica aglea aglea from Myanmar, and others, inseparable from typical Parantica aglea melanoides, from Mysore.[3]
Subspecies Parantica aglea aglea edit
Ground color is fuliginous black with subhyaline bluish-white streaks and spots. In the forewing, vein 11 is anastomosed with vein 12.
Interspace 1 of the upperside forewing has two comparatively long, broad streaks united at the base, which truncate exteriorly; cell with a very broad, somewhat clavate streak traversed by two fine black lines. Interspaces 2 and 3 display basal spots, an irregular discal series of three spots and two elongate streaks, and a subterminal series of spots, the two series curved inwards opposite the apex of the wing, the latter continued along the apical half of the costa; and finally a terminal row in pairs in the interspaces of much smaller spots.
Hindwing: interspaces la, lb with broad long streaks from base; interspace 1 and cell with two streaks united at base in each, the pair in the cell with a short streak obliquely between their apices, an outwardly radiating series of broad, elongate, inwardly pointed spots in interspaces 2–8, followed by somewhat irregular rows of subterminal and terminal spots. Underside similar, the markings and spots sometimes a little ill-defined and blurred.[3]
Antennae black; head and thorax black spotted with white; abdomen blackish brown, ochraceous beneath. Male secondary sex-mark in form 2.[3][4]
Subspecies Parantica aglea melanoides edit
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Northern and eastern form. Differs as follows: Wings on the whole longer and narrower; hyaline markings, especially in interspace 1 of forewing and in cells of both forewing and hindwing, very much broader. In many specimens the black ground colour in these spaces is reduced to a mere slender black line enclosed in the subhyaline marking. On the underside the streaks are often much blurred and diffuse.[3]
Wingspan 70–100 mm.
Distribution edit
Subspecies Parantica aglea aglea: Sri Lanka, the Western Ghats north to Pune and the Niligiris. Subspecies Parantica aglea melanoides: the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal; Sylhet; Assam; Cachar; Chittagong; Arrakan; Burma and Tenasserim.[3]
Life cycle edit
Food plants edit
Eggs edit
White pearl-shaped eggs are laid under leaves. They hatch after about three days.[5]
Larva edit
Dark claret brown, two round chrome-yellow spots on each segment, with scattered smaller bluish-white spots between, clustering into and forming a conspicuous line along the sides; legs and ventral surface purplish black, the tentacula, placed as usual on the 3rd and 12th segments, claret brown.[3]
The plants that host Parantica aglea larva include, Calotropis gigantea, Ceropegia bulbosa, Ceropegia lawii, Cryptolepis dubia, Vincetoxicum indicum, and Vincetoxicum flexuosum.[5]
Pupa edit
Green, spotted with silver, black, and gold; much constricted behind the thorax.[3]
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Egg -
Larva (first instar) -
Larva (last instar) -
Pre-Pupal Larva -
Pupa -
Newly Emerged Butterfly
Range edit
The species is present in the Western Ghats, north-east India, Sri Lanka and the Malay peninsula.[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing. p. 150. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.
- ^ a b Savela, Markku. "Parantica aglea (Stoll, [1782])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h
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. 18–19.
- ^ 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. 55–57.
- ^ a b "Parantica aglea (Stoll, [1782]) - Glassy Tiger | Butterfly". www.ifoundbutterflies.org. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
External links edit
