[Leps-l] looking for info about butterfly recognition of individual humans

[Bill Cornelius]

I know they try to put more distance between us when I chase them, but that seems like an obvious survival trait. If I come back the next day they seem to avoid me, at least they're more skittish. might be the air temp causes them to react sooner etc. but here's one data point for "friendly" behavior:

 A Polygonia claimed the area in back of my shop and would often cruise through when the garage door was open. finally he blundered into a big garden spider web hanging from the rafter. I liked his company and couldn't stand to let him get eaten so I carefully pulled the web off him before the spider showed up, and let him continue patrolling. the next day I was in the same spot when he came through, he flew within a foot of me and repeated the same friendly behavior with no concern even when I was moving, likewise whenever we were in the shop at the same time. 

Deer will drop their fauns near a road because big predators tend to avoid roads, even when the deer occasionally get hit by cars. It doesn't mean they like cars. It's hard to not-anthropomorphize intent since it's our only reference, but the same neuronal response can have a different name and still mean the same thing, we just don't have the same capacity for social expression. Do dogs Cannispomorphize? Do butterflies arthropmorphize? 

Somebody please offer more data points on this.

Thanks
Bill :)

On Jul 8, 2022, at 2:13 PM, Michael Gochfeld <mg930 at eohsi.rutgers.edu> wrote:

> It shouldn't be a surprise that an insect can recognized a food-giver or a threat.  Whether and how they classify these and to what extent they can distinguish individuals can be tested.  How long they "remember" ----not sure.  Whether they recognize visually or olfactory, and whether it is the person or the body language would be good to study.
> 
> On a different note: 
> 
> Although everyone knows that birds are superior beings, it surprised me that Common Terns could recognize a threat arriving in an orange VW van from one year to the next and fly out to attack and stain the vehicle before the person even got out, having not seen the vehicle or person for 10 months. 
> 
> MIKE GOCHFELD 
> 
> From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Bill Cornelius <billcor at mcn.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 8, 2022 12:45 AM
> To: Leps list <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> Subject: [Leps-l] looking for info about butterfly recognition of individual humans
>  
> Hi List:
> 
> I read some time ago, before fact checking was an industry, that some reared Heliconius charithonia will recognize individual people that have acted threateningly or non threateningly towards them and react correspondingly days or weeks later. Can anyone send me any info on that? My own experience with Polygonias indicates they do have that capability. I'm looking for support but any info will do.
> 
> thanks
> Bill Cornelius
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