Page 34 - PARPAR

threshold and they perish with their eggs, small larvae and flight. Rejective female fly away, or flip / vibrate her wings
even pupae while the final instars larvae can withstand and lift her abdomen to repel the male. Isolated females
and survive low temperatures. that were introduced to males started courting by flattering
around them or landing on them – unusual behaviour for
'ZDUI DGXOWV – are usually the output of larval starvation. butterfly females. In aerial courting male extract his hair © Ofir Tomer
Dwarf African Queens with wing span of 24.8-27.2 mm pencils over the female (illustr 15) releasing pheromones.
(n=4 adults – illustr. 12) are two thirds (67%) the size Receptive female will land for mating.
of regular adults with wingspan of 36.2-41.7 mm (n=41 Mating starts usually at noon time and lasts in mid-
adults) appear rarely in Israeli wild population, but in summer for about five and a half hours until ~ two hours
breeding farms also as a complete rare “normal” brood before sunset, but if mating starts later in the afternoon © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
(Dan Sharon pers. comm. to DB). The reasons are not it will procceed a bit later and for shorter time. The length
clear and instead of speculations we leave it to future of mating time is sometimes dictated by the male; on aestivating larva
researchers. 19 Sept. 2013 a strange couple was observed in DB’s
breeding cage; where a female was drugging a weak male
$GXOWV SROOLQDWLRQ WUDSV – during 60 + years of experimental that later was observed hanging dead below her. A day
breeding of thousands chrysippus (since 1958, but not in later they were still in cop. and the female tried to get
years of their absence) DB observed and documented only rid of him by dragging his corpse among dense vegetation © Dubi Benyamini © Shalev Weisman
four times when proboscis or leg of nectaring chrysippus while his claspers were locked on her abdomen tip. But
where caught by a Milkweed’s flower trap: On 17 June she did not succeed and…started to lay eggs over his body
2010 DB bred chrysippus larvae on the invasive Araujia (Benyamini, 2013e). The next relevant record showed a
sericifera (Apocynaceae ex Asclepiadaceae) and found a different scenario; on 6 July 2015 afternoon an in cop.
dead male that could not escape its flower’s pollination pair was observed on 15:00, three hours later at 18:03
trap, hanging by its proboscis – illustr. 13 (Benyamini, the female moved down and pulled 30-45° sidewise for
2010e). In summer-fall 2020 DB bred dorippus & crossed separation, than she opened and closed her wings, took
it with local chrysippus (see above). Of over 500 bred nectar from flowers of Basil, Pentas and Heliotropium © Dubi Benyamini
specimens three adults were involved with pollination (both genders do not feed while mating, even if they stand
traps; on 18 Sept. 2020 a female was caught at noon on flowers) and flew to disturb males that were ready to
time by flower of Asclepias curassavica she was not in sleep. On 18:15, 12 minutes after her afternoon mating
panic and kept pulling her proboscis until 17:00 when the she mated again. In 18:47 she pulled out for separation
flower released her without the pollen. On 25 Sept. 2020 from the second male, then bent her abdomen as for laying
a chrysippus leg was found inside A. curassavica flower eggs but did it to wipe the edge of her abdomen three times
trap once again it did not fulfil its function and no pollen against the wall net of the breeding cage, flew to a Basil
was carried outside the flower. Finally on 7 Nov. 2020 at plant for nectaring and remained there for the night. This
09:15 a leg of female dorippus was caught in a flower interesting scenario showed that a chrysippus female has
of A. currasavica this time it took her three hours to pull full control on mating times and possibly even selection of © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
the pollinium and fly with it to the next flower (Benyamini, her mates aiming to get missing spermatophores amount parasitized egg
2020n). she needed (DB, breeding notes). The maximum mating
The flower’s trap is operated when a fork-like corpusculum time in Israel was a pair that remained in cop. for two
inside the milkweed flower catches the proboscis or a leg complete days (48 hours); it was possibly a combination
(only leg in bees) and force the insect to pull the pollinium of cloudy cold days and an “old” couple.
outside and carry it with the pollen to the next flower. It Average number of female matings in Rhopalocera is 0 mm1
also happens to other butterflies; Torben Larsen sent between one and two times because a female usually gets © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
DB a B&H photograph of a trapped Papilio demodocus enough spermatophores in a single mating with a young
(Papilionidae). Ofir Tomer video filmed an adult Melitaea male and sometimes needs one more. Not so in Danaus
syriaca (Nymphalidae) on 20 Sept. 2006 trapped by flower chrysippus females that may mate five times or more (DB, © Dubi Benyamini
of Cynanchum acutum (Apocynaceae ex Asclepiadaceae). breeding notes & Steve Collins pers. comm.)
DB found a dead male Anapheis aurota (Pieridae) that on
6 Sept. 2009 was trapped by a flower of A. sericifera; in 5RRVWLQJ: Danaus chrysippus adults spend the night in
this exceptional case both antennae and proboscis were communal roosting. In a large breeding cage of DB in Beit
caught also between two petals (Benyamini, 2009f) - see Arye (C Israel) on 9 July 2015 adults started to look for an
Pollination traps in Vol I. overnight sleeping place in the afternoon and finish to do
Our limited information suggests that such traps are so about two hours before sunset. Finally eleven males
not aimed (evolutionary) to catch butterflies because and females landed on a vertical steel wire hanging from © Alex Oz
pulling by the tongue (= proboscis) is not as strong (and the cag’s top, where they found a safe place to sleep (DB, n. ab. mishan, Benyamini 2021.
successful) as pulling by legs of bees. breeding notes). Israel, HaShofet stream,120 m, 20 Aug. 2021

&RXUWLQJ DQG 0DWLQJ 7HUULWRULDOLW\ The African Queen is not a territorial species
Land courtship ritual starts when male approaches the except if attacked by other species; on 19 August 2018 a
female opening and closing its wings. Receptive females male was flying near Ein Afeq nature reserve in W Galilee,
stand quite with closed wings, the male approaches from along a dirt road bordered with Tamarix trees with its LHP
the side align along the female and bend his abdomen Cynanchum acutum climber. Entering a territory of male
sidewise to the female’s genitalia for mating, then they Pelopidas thrax this large skipper immediately attacked
turn faces away, her wings between his wings and she the penetrating Danaid but the larger peaceful Queen
hangs herself below him in the air, but in windy weather changed its manners and stated to fight the skipper © Dubi Benyamini
she grips a nearby branch to prevent falling down - illustr. “pushing” it far out of its territory. However it did not
14. When disturbed in cop. male carries the female in remain there to celebrate its victory and flew out of sight © Yaron Mishan

34 47