Butterflies of the World - Lifecycle, Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation, Photography, Butterfly Holidays, Photo Galleries, Book Reviews and more.........
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
 
 
Sexual dimorphism

In many species, such as the Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus, the males are much more brightly coloured than the females. One reason for this is that males are constantly flying in search of mates, so they need to advertise their presence.

Females on the other hand are generally passive, tending to move very little until mated. Afterwards they spend most of their time crawling about on the ground amongst short grasses, looking for places to lay their eggs, and their drab colouration helps them to escape the notice of insectivorous birds.

Lysandra bellargus - male

Males fly actively in search of females, so they run the risk of being attacked by birds. The brilliant blue colouration of the upperside alternates with the drab disruptive colouration of the underside, and has the effect of confusing avian predators. A bird chases a blue butterfly, but as soon as it settles it effectively disappears, and the butterfly escapes detection.

Lysandra bellargus - female

Females lead very sedentary lives, crawling slowly about amongst the grasses in search of places to lay their eggs. However they need to bask in order to raise their body temperatures. A dull brown butterfly basking amongst soil and grasses is much harder for a bird to spot than a blue one.
 
 
 
 
Related subjects :
 
Taxonomy  - the classification and characteristics of butterfly families and sub-families.
Lifecycle - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly, courtship, reproduction.
Parasitoids and Predators - of eggs, larvae, pupae and adult butterflies.
 
Text and butterfly photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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