www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

hi all ,theres a small area in my local park where at certain times of the year,namely now,you can guarantee a red admiral will land on u.
What's happening here,? For the last 5 years ,it's the same place and time.
How do they pass on this knowledge?

Many species have favourite leks that they use year after year - the corner of a park, a master tree, a hilltop, a specially favoured bush. I don't believe there is any communication of the specific location from generation to generation (it's not impossible, but I've never seen any evidence for this). Rather, the butterflies are predisposed to seek out such sites and if the site stays constant year after year it will be found.

This can be very important for wandering species, or species where the females wander widely for egg-laying. If they didn't have a built-in disposition to congregate at certain sites the adults might never meet. I know one small hill not far from me where long-tailed blues are always found, without exception, every August. They are not resident there - or indeed in Switzerland - they are just guided there by instinct. Long-tailed blues are generally scarce migrants in Switzerland but every year they raise a brood on this little hill!

Guy