Do Females feed on carrion?

[Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer]

I have not. However, I suspect the most likely candidates in temperate areas
would be species which hibernate as adults over the winter (Polygonia,
Nymphalis, etc). My reasoning is that prior to hibernation females are
reproductively undeveloped, and hence might have similar nutritional needs,
and hence feeding habits, to males. Monarchs might do it prior to
hibernation as well. Those would be the species I would check.

-----Original Message-----
From: Amazon009 at aol.com <Amazon009 at aol.com>
To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Date: October 18, 1999 2:22 AM
Subject: Do Females feed on carrion?


>I am conducting research in Costa Rica to determine if female butterflies
>ever feed on carrion? This September, I performed the first phase of the
>research on the Atlantic Slope of Costa Rica, and no females came to the
>rotten chicken livers which were placed in traps. I will be returning to
>Costa Rica in March to perform additional testing.
>
>Has anyone on this list ever captured a female butterfly on rotting meat of
>any type?
>
>Regards,
>
>Jim Hanlon
>jfhanlon at aol.com
>
>