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The Plain Tiger butterfly and Bougainvillea flowers

on 25th November 2015

Another butterfly visits my Bougainvillea plant to sip nectar from the flowers. This time it is the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus).

We grow many cultivars of Bougainvillea all over Singapore mainly to provide colours to our Garden City. This is because of their prominent blooms, especially after a dry spell.

But these plants also have a role in attracting biodiversity – in this case butterflies.

This is the third butterfly species posted here that visits the flowers for the nectar. The earlier two are Peacock Pansy (Junonia almanac) and Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus malayanus).

YC Wee
Singapore
November 2015

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

3 Responses

  1. I never see any butterflies visiting the bougainvillea that’s grown by the roadsides, especially those in the centre of roads. Is this because of the pollution from traffic? Are butterflies particularly sensitive to air pollution and other emissions?

    Also, I read before that seeing dragonflies is an indicator that the ecology of an area is sound. Can a similar conclusion be drawn if butterflies are seen? And likewise, if no butterflies come even if these flowers are present, does that indicate there’s something “wrong”?

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