A Question of Stripes

[Lee Hurrell]

I was asked a question about butterflies the other day that I couldn't answer.

Someone loves blues and wondered why some butterflies have stripy antennae - does anyone know?

Cheers

Lee

[JohnR]

She loves blues and wondered why some butterflies have stripy antennae - does anyone know?
Lee

If you listen very carefully they are singing The Barber Shop Blues

[David M]

Take a look at Brown Hairstreaks' legs - it's like three pairs of black and white hooped socks!

[Wurzel]

I was thinking that perhaps it's a bit like with Zebra's, the striped pattern breaking up the outline of the body - but then I remembered that we were talking about Blues - which often stand out like a sore thumb
Perhaps they support Swansea...or Fulham...or West Brom...or Newcastle...or even better still Dorcester Town (the orignal Magpies).
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[John W]

Someone asked me a question about butterflies the other day that I couldn't answer.

She loves blues and wondered why some butterflies have stripy antennae - does anyone know?

This is a question I was saving for the long winter months. In particular, do the stripes have any functional significance, e.g. the different stripes responding to different stimuli, or is the significance mainly in the appearance, e.g. camouflage or sexual signalling?

Cheers
John

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks all for your replies - I think I'll go with David's leg warmers, but worn on the head - sort of!

Cheers

Lee

[Michaeljf]

I'd go with Swansea supporters myself...

But seriously - I like the idea of it breaking up their outline, but I wonder if it may be an ID to stronger breeding lines. I think Adders stripes are all different? Some males will do anything to impress a lady...

Michael

[jenks]

Take a look at Brown Hairstreaks' legs - it's like three pairs of black and white hooped socks!

Do you know, I`ve never looked closely at Brown Hairstreak`s legs ? Being the sensitive soul that I am I don`t like to look too closely at ladies legs ( well I do, I just dont like being seen to ). I have always admired the wing colouring but I can see I will also
have to look at their legs in future.
Anyway, after my request for info on Sunday, I had to make a choice of going to Fontmell Down or Aston Rowant for Silver Spotted Skipper. I made my decision on sound scientific basis.... I tossed a coin. AR won so Monday saw me driving to the side of the M40 and between 11.00 and 14.00 saw perhaps 20 SSS`s . They were the commonest butterfly on the north slope, my first sighting being just after entering the first gate onto the downland and sightings continued right along the down and through the gate on the far side. I didn`t realise how difficult they were to follow in flight, they keep so low to the ground and the colouring provides good camouflage amongst the grasses. However, once disturbed they tended to fly only a short distance and come down again to feed on the flowers. Other butterflies seen Meadow Brown (15 + ), Small Heath (3), Brown Argus ( 2), Common Blue (2), Chalkhill Blue (2), Small Tortoiseshell ( 2), Large White ( 2), Small White ( 2), singles of Gatekeeper, Green veined White and Small Copper. Three Speckled Wood and one Red Admiral seen between the car park and the downland.
That brought up 50 species seen this year so well worth the trip !.

[David M]

Do you know, I`ve never looked closely at Brown Hairstreak`s legs ? Being the sensitive soul that I am I don`t like to look too closely at ladies legs ( well I do, I just dont like being seen to ). I have always admired the wing colouring but I can see I will also have to look at their legs in future.

That's one of the reasons Brown Hairstreaks are so beloved and sought after; they're exquisite even in their most subtle detail.

They have a beautiful, powdery white colouring around the abdominal area which extends into their legs, and the lower tarsal is ringed with black hoops just to finish it off.

It's as if an artist has taken a brush to them.

[Wurzel]

Not sure whether this has any relevance but I was perusing some books and having read this post something jumped out of the page. I recently saw and photographed my first Clouded Yellow (see personal dairy for the photos) and I noticed that they have peachy legs (the colour not attractiveness ) and the book I was reading suggested that these act as camouflage so when nectaring they don't get caught by Crab Spiders! Could this be similar for Brostreaks? I like the idea of a form of "fitness recognition" but then surely the stripes would be more noticable on the males?
Any way I totally agree with David - this for my money is the most attractive butterfly in Britain. Everything else is all show, this has it all including subtlety

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Michaeljf]

I like the idea of a form of "fitness recognition" but then surely the stripes would be more noticable on the males? Wurzel

Ah, but the stripes already might be more noticeable or symmetrical or whatever would make it more 'sexy'...seeing as your not a female Brown Hairstreak, you might not be noticing the difference..

A perplexing question though. In humans the perfectly symmetrical face is supposed to be very beautiful / handsome because it shows 'great genes'...I wonder if Guy, Pete, Piers or Neil have any ideas about the hairstreak 'socks'?

Michael

[David M]

I wonder if Guy, Pete, Piers or Neil have any ideas about the hairstreak 'socks'?

Michael

It's not just Hairstreaks that have it, most Blues possess stripey legs too. In the Brown Hairstreak though, it just seems to ascend to a different level of artistic perfection. I'm not sure even Richard Dawkins could explain the reason for this coup de nature.

[Wurzel]

David that is as close to blasphemy as I can handle - I am sure that Dawkins would find a reason to explain it - and then he'd write a book about it "The Butterflies Socks", then again it doesn't have quite the same ring as his other books

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Michaeljf]

"The Butterflies Socks", then again it doesn't have quite the same ring as his other books Wurzel

I sounds like a good title for a Biography to me
Michael

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
I'm with Wurzel on this one. I think it's his 'zebra effect' at work, with black & white hoops breaking up the outline of antennae and legs when the butterfly is at rest and vulnerable. It might only make a very small difference to survival rate, but in nature that's often enough.
Neil

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks all for your replies on the socks!

Now, what about these antennae - any ideas?

Cheers

Lee

[Wurzel]

Sorry got distracted, always have been a leg man I think that it could be for the same reasons as the banding on legs - they're all appendages and all lead to the overall butterfly shape, so like a zebra's stripes they will help break up the image and could help them to avoid becoming lunch for something.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Wurzel, that's as good as reason as any!

It is all about survival at the end of the day I guess.

Cheers

Lee

[David M]

I think that it could be for the same reasons as the banding on legs - they're all appendages and all lead to the overall butterfly shape, so like a zebra's stripes they will help break up the image and could help them to avoid becoming lunch for something.

....and would be particularly useful for a Hairstreak given that they are more static than most other butterfly species.