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At 12:53 PM -0300 6/11/10, Pat Dix wrote:
>It is interesting that you talk about a crow 'funeral' as some years
>ago I witnessed what appeared to be a similar event with Tiger
>Swallowtail butterflies at Delaps Cove. Phenomenal event!
It's likely that the Tiger Swallowtails "mobbing" the deceased one
were all males, Patricia, regardless of whether they were on the
ground or flying above the corpse.
Female butterflies that are looking for a mate are, in general, quite
rare (once a female is mated she actively avoids harassment from
males) so males are extraordinarily interested in ANYTHING that looks
like a female (including other males, and corpses, and bits of
coloured anything that could be mistaken as a butterfly).
Butterflies flying above the corpse were likely looking for a
female...once one male finds it (whether it is a dead male or a dead
female), his activity attracts a 2nd, they attract a 3rd, and so on.
Butterflies on the ground around the corpse were likely looking for
mineral salts (called "puddling" behaviour because it often happens
on damp ground near the edges of puddles. The presence of a living
butterfly or a corpse signals a possible good site...only males (or
rarely females, at any rate) look for salts because females get them
from males during mating).
The other option is that they were feeding on the corpse or corpse
juices itself (butterflies love corpses of all varieties...)
Sorry but no "funeral" just butterflies "making a living".
Phil
--
Phil Schappert, PhD
27 Clovis Ave.
Halifax, NS, B3P 1J3
902-404-5679 (home)
902-460-8343 (cell)
www.myspace.com/papiliomusic
www.myspace.com/philschappert
www.philschappert.com
www.aworldforbutterflies.com
"Just let imagination lead, reality will follow through..."
(Michael Hedges)
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