Common Tiger

A Common Tiger photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Common Tiger is a member of the danainae family of butterflies and is found throughout Sri Lanka, India, Burma and extending to South East Asia and Australia. These butterflies look very similar to the Monarch butterfly found in the Americas.  More images and info after the jump.

A Common Tiger photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Common Tiger has a wingspan of around 75 - 95mm and both sexes have tawny wings with veins marked with broad black bands. Females of this species have a pouch on their hind wings while males have a prominent black and white spot on the underside of their hind wings. In drier areas the tawny part of the butterflies hindwing is paler in colour and resembles a White Tiger.

A Common Tiger photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

This butterfly can usually be found in scrub jungles, fallowland and dry and moist deciduous forests, referring areas with moderate to heavy rainfall. The Common Tiger is a strong flier and it never flies rapidly or high. However it has stronger and faster strokes than the Plain Tiger.

A Common Tiger photographed in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Members of this family are leathery, tough to kill and fake death. They are unpleasant to smell and taste and, as a result, they are soon released by the predators. They also gather toxins from some of the plants they feed on. In order to advertise their unpalatability, they are brightly coloured and have bold markings.

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