Ringlets/Meadow browns
Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:19 pm
These two species look quite alike in flight and often share the same habitat. Today, I witnessed many examples of the two species interacting with one another. Meadow Browns were swooping on Ringlets and Ringlets were checking out Meadow Browns.
I'm not a scientist, so the obvious question is why can't these two interbreed? A 'Meadow Ringlet' would be quite an attractive specimen. They are clearly very closely related and take time out to investigate one another frequently, so is their inability to mate with one another down to the same reasons that Wood/Reals Wood Whites can't do so?
I'm not a scientist, so the obvious question is why can't these two interbreed? A 'Meadow Ringlet' would be quite an attractive specimen. They are clearly very closely related and take time out to investigate one another frequently, so is their inability to mate with one another down to the same reasons that Wood/Reals Wood Whites can't do so?