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1 October 2010 Mate-Locating Behavior of the Butterfly Lethe diana (Lepidoptera: Satyridae): Do Males Diurnally or Seasonally Change Their Mating Strategy?
Tsuyoshi Takeuchi
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Abstract

The mate-locating behavior of male butterflies has been classified into two major types, territorial and patrolling. Territorial males defend a specific site, whereas patrolling males fly around a wider area without having to defend a site. In this study, I investigated the use of these tactics by males of the satyrine butterfly, Lethe diana. A previous study suggested that the males of L. diana change their mate-locating behavior during the day (they patrol in the morning and defend territories in the afternoon) and that patrolling is the primary mating strategy, whereas defending territories is a supplementary one. In the present study, I found that the daily activity pattern of the males of L. diana was similar to that described in the previous study: males often flew around in the morning and competed for territories in the afternoon. However, contrary to the previous study, all courtships and copulations were performed within male territories during their territorial activity. Closer observations revealed that copulations found in male territories were achieved by the owner of the territory. Males tended to feed in the morning, suggesting that the males flying in the morning searched for food rather than females. I conclude that territory holding is the primary male matelocating tactic in L. diana. I further found that, in summer, males exhibited territorial behavior later than in spring or autumn, which may be a strategy for preventing heat stress.

© 2010 Zoological Society of Japan
Tsuyoshi Takeuchi "Mate-Locating Behavior of the Butterfly Lethe diana (Lepidoptera: Satyridae): Do Males Diurnally or Seasonally Change Their Mating Strategy?," Zoological Science 27(10), 821-825, (1 October 2010). https://doi.org/10.2108/zsj.27.821
Received: 10 March 2010; Accepted: 17 May 2010; Published: 1 October 2010
KEYWORDS
alternative mating strategy
butterflies
mating success
sexual selection
territory
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