Flying Tigers

I started volunteering with NParks for the Butterfly Seasonality Study since 2019, where I carry out monthly surveys, take photographs, and collect data on butterfly count and species.

Truth be told, I did not start out being fascinated with butterflies. In fact, I started out with surveying dragonflies in 2018 out of curiosity. It was only after my first Butterfly Watch that I was left in awe by this beautiful and rich diversity that I did not notice all along.

If we could just take a slow-paced stroll and a closer look, we would certainly spot butterflies in our school garden or at nearby parks. Yes, this is exactly what is done during a butterfly survey, a Pollard Walk.

But if the fluttering butterflies are so ‘fast and furious’, how do we identify them? With practice and a camera in hand, it gets easier with experience.

Can you tell the difference between these butterflies?

These are two of the five species of tiger butterflies that can be found in Singapore, which have been given the common name ‘tiger’ due to the orange colour of the wings and the stripped wing patterns.

Tiger butterflies are showy butterflies which tend to fly slowly and gracefully. When they are feeding on nectar, it is possible to get very close to them to take a photograph due to their nonchalant character.

This could be because they have a built-in immunity – while in the stage as caterpillars, they feed on laticiferous vines and plants which makes them distasteful to birds and other predators. The obvious markings and colours further serve as a warning to predators to stay away from them.

Although the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) looks very similar to the tiger butterfly (Danaus genutia), they are of different species! They were once thought to be the same for more than a century until they were reclassified as separate species in 1954.