Monarchs and Common Tigers

I recently returned from a business trip to Thailand and Republic of China (Taiwan). For my two days in Bangkok, I had a total of about 4 hours in the middle of the day when I was not involved in meetings. On one of those days, I took myself to a local park. The temperature ws 90 degree Fahrenheit and the humidity was 90%. I really had expected to see a much larger variety of butterflies but I didn't. I saw Lemon and Peacock Pansy's, some whites that I have not yet identified and literally hundreds of Common Tigers. There was also a rare Plain Tiger but that will be another blog. These were the six legged variety, not the four legged variety. They were also not as frightening as the mammalian tigers and I was able to get up close to take some pictures. I was absolutely amazed at how close they are to our Monarchs and I am embedding pictures of both the top and undersides of the Common Tiger and the Monarch so that they can be compared.

I have a book on Indian Butterflies published in 1957 (by M.A. Wynter-Blythe) and he lists the scientific name for the Common Tiger as Danais Plexippus - this sounds very familiar. The two bottom pictures are of the Monarch and both were photographed in the Santa Clarita Valley, one on Buddlea in my back yard. The top picture is of the Common Tiger showing the undersurface. Apparently the Blog will only allow me to post three pictures. I will do another with the upper surface of the Common Tiger.

Paul A. Levine