Radio Taiwan International
Date: 14 November, 2018
By: Charlie Storrar

Parantica sita niponica is a Japanese sub-species of the chestnut tiger butterfly
Butterfly experts have been surprised and delighted to find butterflies in the outlying island of county of Penghu that have flown all the way from Japan.

Chestnut tiger butterflies, a Japanese sub-species of Parantica sita, have been discovered in Taiwan’s Penghu islands. They have been marked on the wings by Japanese lepidopterists, proving that they crossed 2,000 kilometers of sea to make their way to Penghu in the Taiwan Strait.

So far some 650 of the butterflies have been found in areas around Penghu, the largest number in 10 years. The chestnut tigers are certainly attractive visitors. But more importantly they give researchers important information about the migration paths of the insects as they seek warmer climes in the winter – and what this could also tell us about climate change.    [FULL  STORY]