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Dogfennel plants (Eupatorium capillifolium) spotted at Bukit Gombak Park, Singapore on 15 Feb 2025. Different species of Tiger butterflies were feeding on the alkaloids produced by the plant, which makes the butterflies distasteful to predators.

On iNaturalist [ inaturalist.org/observations/2… ].

#iNaturalist #Nature #Photography #Singapore #Plants #Plantae #Insects #Butterflies #Lepidoptera

A plant with multiple thin vertical hairy stalks. Some of the stalks are green, while others are brown. Two species of butterflies are feeding on the plant: the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) at the top and bottom left, the Black-veined Tiger (Danaus melanippus) at the left and bottom right. Both butterflies are coloured like the Monarch butterfly. But the Plain Tiger does not have dark stripes on the wings, while the Black-veined Tiger has strong dark stripes on the wings.
The same plant with different butterflies feeding on it. At the top is the Dark Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides), at the bottom the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus). The Dark Glassy Tiger is dark with many white stripes on the wings.

dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium) observed by Soh Kam Yung

dogfennel from Bukit Batok, Singapore on February 15, 2025 at 10:08 AM by Soh Kam Yung. The observation is to ID the plant being fed on by the various butterflies.
iNaturalist
#Photography #nature #Singapore #lepidoptera #butterflies #insects #inaturalist #plantae #plants
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