Homosexual lepidoptera

[Riley Foster]

About 3 years ago 2 friends & I observed a male Monarch repeatedly try to
mate with other male Monarchs who were nectaring on buddleia.  The horny
male actually managed to narcotize another male & was trying to copulate
on the ground. I was able to pick up the pair of butterflies, so intent
was the horny male & so drugged was his companion. My view was close
enough to see the claspers trying to grab the other male's abdomen. This
is the only case of "homosexual" behavior in butterflies that I have ever
observed.


          "The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more
           certain it is that I only assert a limitation."
                                                     A.C.