Sparring Bugs Question

Bob Parcelles,Jr. rjparcelles at yahoo.com
Wed Oct 23 20:34:15 EDT 2002


--- MexicoDoug at aol.com wrote:
> Nigel,
> 
> If I read your (and Chip's) messages between the lines, both of you
> seem to 
> suggest that because the smaller (male) butterfly is looking for a
> mate he 
> becomes more aggressive.  I am certainly with you there.  Then both
> of you 
> seem to make a small leap of faith in the assumption that an
> aggresive male 
> on the prowl can engender fear--observed as a dramatic  fleeing
> flight-- in a 
> much larger butterfly.  
=======================================================================

Throughout the animal kingdom there is much ritualization where we
would expect a "fight to the finnish" but it (the loser )rarely comes
to harm. It has evolved that winners and losers go on to posture and
fight another day. The fact that a smaller more fit male might win such
a trial points to natural selection at work. 

Bob

=====
Bob Parcelles, Jr 
Pinellas Park, FL 
Ecologist/Ethologist, RJP Associates
CEO, PROactive Ecology Solutions Group (PESG)
Institute of Ecological and Environmental Studies (IEES)
http://www.Ecology-Today.eboard.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturepotpourri

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