Parantica phyle
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felder's_tiger
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Parantica phyle faces significant pressure from habitat destruction as tropical forests across its Southeast Asian range are cleared for palm oil plantations and urban development. The species' dependence on specific host plants in the Apocynaceae family makes it particularly vulnerable to forest fragmentation, which isolates populations and reduces genetic diversity. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the distribution of both the butterfly and its essential host plants at higher elevations.
Habitat
Parantica phyle inhabits tropical rainforests and secondary forests across Southeast Asia, typically found in lowland to montane regions up to 1,500 meters elevation. The species requires intact forest canopy and understory where its Apocynaceae host plants, particularly Parsonsia species, are abundant.
