|
| |
- Male butterflies are believed to look for their mate by eye-sight. Some
species, such as the Australian
Crow and Orchard
Swallowtail, patrol the field in search of females. Some
species, e.g. the Glasswing
Butterfly and Dingy
Swallowtail, are gathering around hill tops. Some other
species, like the Common Eggfly that we are discussing here, take up and
wait in good positions, such as the opening and clearings, where the
females will pass by.
-
 -
- In Wishart Outlook along the Bulimba Creek, there is a foot path good
for jogging. There are gum trees, wattles and thick tall grasses on both
sides of the path. From mid to late summer, we can always see many male
Common Eggfly Butterflies along the path. Each male butterfly has his
own territorial about thirty to forty meters apart. They usually rest on
a leaf about one to two meters above ground. Any flying object come near
by, the male butterfly will fly to it and check. If it is another Common
Eggfly male. there will be a combat between them. They will chase each
other and sometimes with body contact. The combat may last for a few
minutes. Then one of the males will come back, usually the original
territorial owner, sits back to where it rests before.
-
 -
- Because of the their combat, broken wings males are quite common.
-
- On a hot summer afternoon, I walked along the footpath and stopped to
watch a Common Eggfly Butterfly. I saw the male Common Eggfly resting on a
tree, chasing for other flying objects as it usually did. Watching it for
about five minutes, the butterfly disappeared. Carefully looking for it,
from my shadow I found that the butterfly was resting on the top of my
hat. It might think that my hat, where I was standing at the middle of the
path, was a better place to guard his territorial. Chasing away other
males a few times and he always came back to my hat. The above pictures
was taken by putting my hat on a tripod.
-
 -
- Back to Top
[ Up ] [ Mating and Reproduction ] [ Courtshipping ] [ Territorial Habits of Common Eggfly ] [ Parental Care ] [ Work for the Young ] [ Bug's strong hind legs ] [ Stick Insect Mate finding ]
| |
|
