Nathan's Notes

June 15, 2009

Visitors to the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing in the next month will have the opportunity to observe the Orange Tiger (Dryadula phaetusa). Native to Central America and South America, the Orange Tiger is in the Heliconiinae subfamily which makes them a close relative to the Longwing (Heliconius) butterflies also found in the Butterfly Wing. The general shape of the Orange Tiger is similar to that of most of the Longwings except they typically have a shorter and broader wing. Within the Butterfly Wing, the Orange Tigers are very active butterflies often observed moving from one flower to the next. Typically, Orange Tigers do not land on visitors, but they are not shy when it comes to getting their photo taken.