Just wanted to find out about butterfly mating. I have always wanted to know if a male mates with more than one female or just one? Do any species do it?
Whats the most intresting courtship in UK butterflies to see?
Does the courtship/mating differ in spring/summer or is it same throughout year?
Just like to know.
Cheers,
Dave
Mating question
- Dave McCormick
- Posts: 2388
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:46 pm
- Location: Co Down, Northern Ireland
- Contact:
- Pete Eeles
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
- Posts: 6815
- Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:10 pm
- Location: Thatcham, Berkshire
- Contact:
"I have always wanted to know if a male mates with more than one female or just one?"
I've observed this with Lime hawk-moths and have always assumed that this could also be the case with butterflies.
"Whats the most intresting courtship in UK butterflies to see?"
Silver-washed Fritillary, where the male circles the female, spraying pheremones as he goes
Wood White is pretty amazing too, where the male faces the female and flicks his proboscis either side of the female.
"Does the courtship/mating differ in spring/summer or is it same throughout year?"
I believe it's the same for all broods.
Cheers,
- Pete
I've observed this with Lime hawk-moths and have always assumed that this could also be the case with butterflies.
"Whats the most intresting courtship in UK butterflies to see?"
Silver-washed Fritillary, where the male circles the female, spraying pheremones as he goes
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
"Does the courtship/mating differ in spring/summer or is it same throughout year?"
I believe it's the same for all broods.
Cheers,
- Pete
Last edited by Pete Eeles on Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Trev Sawyer
- Stock Contributor
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sun May 07, 2006 8:37 am
- Location: Cambridgeshire
- Dave McCormick
- Posts: 2388
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:46 pm
- Location: Co Down, Northern Ireland
- Contact:
Hmmm... OK, lets keep that to a mimimum here or who knows what we will attract.Trev Sawyer wrote:Ooh! I wonder if similar courting tactics to Wood Whites will work in humans?... I have one of those party blowers which unfirls with a loud "quack", so maybe I'll try it on the wife![]()
.... OK... I'll get my coat.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Cheers all,
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
- Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8227
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
I took this video of wood white courtship today, with my digital camera. It would have been longer but we were run over by a herd of cyclists.
http://www.guypadfield.com/movies/sinapiscourtship.wmv
Guy
PS - I have my media player set to loop, so short films like this keep replaying.
http://www.guypadfield.com/movies/sinapiscourtship.wmv
Guy
PS - I have my media player set to loop, so short films like this keep replaying.
- Dave McCormick
- Posts: 2388
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:46 pm
- Location: Co Down, Northern Ireland
- Contact:
I have taken many mating videos and watching them gives me the chance to see things that I may not have seen stright away. Thanks for that Guy, pritty intresting. It could take a few hours of this before something happens.
Cheers all,
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro