Courtship and Mating in Butterflies

The aim of this book is to present a readable account of butterfly behaviour, based on field observations, great photographs and the latest research. This book presents a comprehensive account of the courtship and mating behaviour of butterflies. It reviews the subject from a worldwide perspective, and includes field observations and the latest research. There are many extraordinary examples of elaborate courtship rituals, forced mating, chemical signals (aphrodisiacs and anti-aphrodisiacs), chastity plugs, male-male competition, and same sex interactions in different butterfly species. With detailed photos illustrating these behaviours, it: Looks at courtship and mating with a focus on perching, searching and territorial behaviour; Considers how mates are chosen, paying attention to wing colours and patterns; Includes recent discoveries in butterfly vision and reproduction, with coverage of photoreceptors and cryptic female choices. This book covers many different areas of biology and will be of interest to academic biologists, students of behavioural ecology, and amateur lepidopterists and naturalists. This book presents a readable account of butterfly behaviour, based on field observations, great photographs and the latest research. The main focus is on courtship and mating - including perching, searching and territorial behaviour - but to understand these subjects it is necessary to explain how mates are chosen and this requires sections on wing colours and patterns. A chapter on butterfly vision is also essential in terms of how butterflies see the world and each other. There have been exciting discoveries in all of these fields in recent years, including: butterfly vision (butterfly photoreceptors), wing patterns (molecular biology), wing colouration (structural colours and nano-architecture), mating strategies and female choice (ecology and behaviour).