Timeline Photos
ACRES 
Nov 22, 2016 
ACRES, NGOs 
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MEET OUR NATIVE WILDLIFE: THE COMMON TIGER
There are over 300 different species of butterflies recorded in Singapore. Lets meet the Common Tiger! The Common tiger is one of the seven species of tiger butterflies recorded in Singapore.
The common tiger is moderately common in parks and gardens, forested areas and mangroves. They are characterised by black bold veins of their wings, white spots on the sub marginal area of the wings and elongated spots on the forewings. They have a forewing length of about 40- 45mm.
The common tiger comes in two forms. White form, intermedius, has white with orange bordered hindwings. The orange form, genutia, has darker orange on the forewings and lighter shade of orange on their hindwings.
Unlike humans, they depend on their environment to stay warm. They can be found in sunny areas with their wings opened to bask and hide in the shade with their wings closed to cool down.
The common tiger is a harmless insect. How do they defend themselves? Aposematism! The colourations on their body act as a warning signal to predators that they are distasteful and unpalatable. The chemicals responsible for the distastefulness are a result of their diet at caterpillar stage.
These beautiful flying jewels play a huge role in ecology. We heavily depend on them to sustainably pollinate our plants. It is important that we spare some thought for them. Lets repel and not kill! In addition to other preventive measures, use insect repellents instead of insecticides or pesticides. If you need to use insect repellent, try natural products such as citriodiol, citronella and/or lemon grass. A slight shift in lifestyle can make a huge impact in the planet that we live in.
Want to know more about butterflies? Pick up A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, 2nd Edition by Khew Sin Khoon today!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/ACRESasia/photos/a.223077136522.136..
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