Tuesday 13 December 2016

220. Parantica melaneus melaneus (The Chocolate Tiger)

Number: 220
Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae
Species: Parantica melaneus melaneus (Cramer, [1775])
Common name(s): The Chocolate Tiger
Photography location: Tam Dao N.P. (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

The genus Parantica comprises 39 species, of which 6 are known to occur in Vietnam viz. aglea, agleoides, aspasia, melaneus, swinhoei, sita.
P. melaneus ranges from India through the Southeast Asia mainland to S.China. The subspecies melaneus occurs in S.China and N.Indo-China.

Graphium xenocles, Chilasa epycides, Ch. clytia f. dissimilis (Papilionidae), Hestina persimilis, H. nicevillei (Apaturinae) and Aporia agathon (Pieridae) are regarded as mimics of P. melaneus (Monastyrskii, 2011).

Parantica melaneus, Tam Dao, September 2016

References:
Butterflies of Vietnam, Vol. 3: Nymphalidae: Danainae; Amathusiinae (A.L. Monastyrskii, 2011)

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