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)

219. Parantica sita sita (The Chestnut Tiger)

Number: 219

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Parantica sita sita (Kollar, [1844])

Common name(s): The Chestnut Tiger

Photography locations: Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi), Tam Đường Distr. (Lai Chau Prov.), Hàm Yên Distr. (Tuyên Quang Prov.)

There are actually 42 species in the genus Parantica, whose representatives occur variously from India to the islands of the South Pacific. Parantica sita is one of the most widespread species, being distributed from northern India to Korea and Japan, and south to the West Malaysian peninsula.  

Six Parantica species are known to occur in Vietnam viz. P. aglea, P. agleoides, P. aspasia, P. melaneus, P. swinhoei, P. sita.

Female Parantica sita sita nectaring on Bidens flowers (Mount Ba Vi, December 2016)

Male Parantica sita sita, from Lai Chau (January 2017)
Particularly easy to see in this picture are the male alar androconial organ (sex brand) on the sub-tornal area of the hindwing

Same individual, showing its upperwings

Another male, puddling in a dry stream bed (Ham Yên District, Tuyen Quang Prov., 30th January 2017)

Same male specimen, in flight

169. Parantica aglea melanoides (The Glassy Tiger)

Number: 169

Family: Nymphaliidae
Sub-Family: Danaiinae

Species: Parantica aglea melanoides (Moore, 1883)

Common name(s): The Glassy Tiger

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

The genus Parantica comprises 42 species, of which 6 are known to occur in Vietnam viz. aglea, agleoides, aspasia, melaneus, swinhoei, sita. 
P. aglea is one of the commonest and most widespread member of the genus, occuring from India and Sri Lanka through the Southeast Asia mainland to Indochina, S. China and Taiwan. 
P. aglea is common throughout the country from lowland to mountain habitats.

Parantica aglea melanoides sipping nectar from Bidens flower (Tam Dao, May 2016)

Another individual on Crassocephalum rubens (Lai Chau, January 2016)

The male fluttering over the female during courtship (Tam Dao, May 2016)

Male Danaids have hair pencils near the end of the abdomen which, in nearly all species, are extruded from the abdominal cavity and pheromones are fanned towards the female. The pheromones serve as both aphrodisiacs and tranquilizers to females as well as repellents to conspecific males.