Dark Blue Tiger Tirumala septentrionis

The dark blue tiger lives up to its striking common name with wings patterned like a tiger's stripes, ranging across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. As a danaid butterfly, this species has likely evolved chemical defenses from the plants it feeds on as a caterpillar, making it distasteful to predators. The widespread distribution across such a vast region demonstrates the success of this lineage, and their conspicuous coloring suggests they have evolved to advertise their toxicity to would-be predators. Encountering one in the field is a genuine thrill for butterfly watchers across Asia.