Prometheus behavior? (sorry it's in RI!)

[MariaAA at aol.com]

Yesterday morning I found a beautiful male Prometheus near a door of a bright yellow building on the URI campus around 8 am.  Only forewings "showing", but the hugely feathery antennae were laid nicely over the forelegs (so of course a picture was necessary).  I assumed that it had come to a nighttime light, and was groggily staying.  This bldg is on the busiest street of campus.  At noon it was sunny and warm out, but we found it to still be there.  A gentle blow of air (er, human caused) made it flash open its hindwings with eyespots, then fall off and start clumsily (?) flying.  It circled around a bit, then flew up and away to the street (30m?).  A minute or 2 later it flew right back to the area where it had hung out on the bright yellow wall, circled, and landed on a "roof" above the door and disappeared.  The afternoon had some rain showers.  

A return around 6:30 found the guy standing on the edge of the door ceiling, then not found around 9pm.  I am wondering how to explain the behavior with regard to this bright yellow bldg...  Why did it return to this spot when it was disturbed at mid-day?  (there are many trees around)  Had it left its own scent where it had been, then returned in response to this?  What could have been going on here?

Maria Aliberti
University of Rhode Island