Sparring Bugs Question

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Chip (glad to see you are still close to Leps-L),

You most certainly do know carinenta though by another name.  carinenta is 
what I call the Snout Butterfly, _Libytheana carinenta_, though I noticed at 
least on the NFWS-Opler, Harry et.al. site that _bachmanii_  was the previous 
name for the US, and suspect is still in common use while the species is 
(are) still being sorted out.  As I recall it has always been carinenta here 
in Mexico, so I don't have to worry about that name...

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/usa/145.htm

Snouts definitely migrate, though not in the relatively orderly fasion of 
Monarchs, more like Pierids which in some lucky places fill the air like 
snowflakes (perhaps somewhat but not too much an exaggeration).  It seems, 
from my location, many emerge here and head to South Texas or thereabouts.  
Since the Snout has the intersting nose-palpae, perhaps the Monarch episode I 
describe (very common) gives other evolutionary justification for these 
structures, besides being the petiole (stalk of the leaf that attaches to the 
stem), but then when I have even seen Rounded Metalmarks do the same, your 
vision explanation is the only one that makes sense to me so far.  But if a 
Monarch can recognize its mate, it ought to recognize size - unless - ?? - 
perhaps size is not very much a part of mate recognition...

Best.  Doug Dawn
stelenes at pobox.com
Monterrey, Mexico



> Asunto:Re: Sparring Bugs Question 
> Fecha:10/22/2002 10:32:44 AM Central Daylight Time
> De:<A HREF="mailto:chip at ku.edu">chip at ku.edu</A>
> Para:<A HREF="mailto:MexicoDoug at aol.com">MexicoDoug at aol.com</A>
> Enviado por Internet 
> 
> 
> 
> Doug: Are you describing the behavior of territorial/mate-seeking males? 
> Male monarchs will sometime chase birds for a few meters. I've also seen 
> migrating monarchs chased by drone honey bees when I've had the scent of a 
> queen in the air. The monarchs get goosed along their way. I imagine that 
> the evasive behavior is simply predator avoidance. Their vision is not that 
> good especially if something is approaching them from below and behind. If 
> something approaches them rapidly, they may just get out of the way. 
> (Drones will chase most anything that moves including medium sized birds if 
> a queen scent is present.) And, what is carinenta for those of us who don't 
> know this beastie?
> 
> 
> Chip
> 
> >> 
>> 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.  Douglas 
>> Dawn
>> stelenes at pobox.com
>> Monterrey, Mexico
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/private/leps-l/attachments/20021022/761af64f/attachment.html