www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

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

"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

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.

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. Anyway, the only mating I have seen is the courtship of small tortoiseshell. Its pritty good. Nothing spectacular though.

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.

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.