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Mating question
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:58 pm
by Dave McCormick
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
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:34 pm
by Pete Eeles
"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
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:31 pm
by Trev Sawyer
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.
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:33 pm
by Dave McCormick
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.
Hmmm... OK, lets keep that to a mimimum here or who knows what we will attract.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Anyway, the only mating I have seen is the courtship of small tortoiseshell. Its pritty good. Nothing spectacular though.
Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 6:06 pm
by Padfield
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.
Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 6:35 pm
by Dave McCormick
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.