Sparring Bugs Question

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

While waiting for Mary Beth's own answers to some of her perhaps rhetorical 
questions, I had one of my own:

Yesterday was a fine day right in the middle of the Monarch migration (and 
the end of the Snout migration) here at one of the several gateways to the 
Mexican high plains.  There seems no lack of individuals.  But there was an 
interesting behavior I observed and as a matter of fact it is quite common, I 
bet most have on plenty of ocassions..  But I never figured it out, any 
ideas?

plexippus apparently in migration pauses in the territory of carinenta.  
carinenta jets out to meet plexippus and buzzes his tail in a "Top Gun" style 
aerial roll, causing plexippus to skedaddle to mama as fast as he can.

Why is plexippus threatened by carinenta specifically, or more generally what 
are little fellows packing to cause the bug guys such fear.  Even some tiny 
Riodinidae like heat chasing missles do the same to other Nymphalids, etc.  
If we were talking a mouth fill of teeth, OK, an animal of smaller size has 
what he needs to threaten.  But what is the threat and how is it interpreted 
here?  It is not like the little guys can ram holes in their wings...or is 
that what the big guys think?...

Best
Douglas Dawn
stelenes at pobox.com
Monterrey, Mexico 

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