Caterpillar Suppliers

Thu Dec 31 13:00:26 EST 1998

><HTML><PRE>Subject: Re: Caterpillar Suppliers
>From: paulcher at CONCENTRIC.NET (Paul Cherubini)
>Date: Wed, Dec 30, 1998 21:00 EST
>Message-id: <368A68F6.3EC8 at concentric.net>
>
>Anne Kilmer wrote:
>
>> The joy of sitting in a garden, watching a male monarch slot the
>> milkweeds and hover circling, sometimes for days, until the female finds
>> him and joins him ... object, patrimony.
>
>Far from a romantic courtship, what really happens is that male monarchs
>tirelessly patrol milkweed patches ready to frantically chase and
>overtake any female that comes along. The 1-2 minute chase is an awesome
>sight where the male and female use all the flight energy they can
>muster to pursue or elude one another,  If the male manages to catch up
>with her in flight, he tries to capture her with his legs in mid air. If
>he manages to capture her, the pair floats to the ground where another
>2- 5 minute struggle between the two begins.  The male tries to grab a
>hold of the females' rear end with his abdominal claspers while the
>female writhers and twists her abdomen away from him. It looks like an
>all out wrestling match. Usually the male out manuvers her and manages
>to obtain a firm hold of her abdomen.. Then he flies away carrying her
>to a quiet spot where the two stay paired for 6-12 hours. Female
>monarchs are never in a receptive state, but the intensity of her
>resistance (and the intensity of the males' persistence) varies
>somewhat.  Not much different from human courtship!
>
>Paul Cherubini, El Dorado, California
>
></PRE></HTML>

Only if you consider rape a part of human courtship.

S.