BLUE TIGER BUTTERFLY

                         
                                               

• Kingdom    - Animalia
• Phylum      -  Arthropoda
• Class          -  Insecta 
• Order          -  Lepidoptera
• Family        -  Nymphalidae 
• Genus         -  Tirumala
• Species       -  Tirumala limniace  exoticus

Common name  -  Blue Tiger Butterfly   

                 Blue tiger is a large butterfly in brown and blue colours .It's upper parts mainly consist with brownish black colour.They have light blue sub terminal and terminal streaks and spots on the wings.Their wingspan about 75-105mm. Head, antenna and thorax are also brownish  black in colour with white colour dots.     

                  Sexes are similar in pattern and size.The male is distinguish from the female because of having a brush at tip of the abdomen.They protrude it out stroke the pouches of specialized scent scales on the underside of the hindwings.Then scatter the scent to attract females.

     

                  Blue Tigers can be found in Sri lanka,India,Nepal, Pakisthan and Afganisthan.In Sri lanka
Blue Tigers are widely distributed over the island.Mostly in lower elevations of the intermediate zone and the dry zone.They inhabit in wide range of habitats in these areas from humid sub tropical forests,scrub jungles,woodlands and also homegardens ,parks and roadsides.They mostly feed on flowers of Lantana camara,Stachytarpheta urticifolia,Tridax procumbens. 

                     They lay oval shaped white colour eggs on the tender buds of flower buds or tip of the leaves.Within one day,these eggs become yellow colour.In the larvae stage the colour of the body is yellowish white and black spots are present on the head,feed and claspers.Larvae reaches maturity in 8-10days.In the pupa stage,the colour of the body is light green with silver markings. 

                 

We can identify some other species of Tigers in Sri Lanka. Blue Glassy Tiger has streaks and spots on the underside of the hind wing which are different colour from those at the apex of fore wing. Streaks and spots of Blue Glassy Tiger are glassy which are located on the hind wing. Those at the apex of the fore wing are blue in colour .Identical feature of Glassy Tiger is the streaks and spots on the underside of the hind wing are the same colour as those at the apex. Some species are as follow. Glassy Tiger's unique feature is having glassy spots. Blue Tiger has broader, larger and lighter blue coloured streaks and spots. Identical feature of Dark Blue Tiger is having narrower, smaller and darker blue coloured streaks and spots.