Sunday 28 July 2013

Large White Butterfly - Mating Attempt

Not a favourite flutter with everyone, the Large White. Often called Cabbage White as they like to lay their eggs in large numbers under brassica leaves. The caterpillars can strip the leaves in no time at all.

My large Buddleia bush has produced a magnificent show of flowers this year and they have been attracting dozens of bumble bees and a few butterflies. At first I thought I was just filming a couple of white flutters but on watching the video I could see that the male, fluttering about, was trying to mate with a couple of females. The females are the ones with two black spots on each wing.



When the female opens its wings and raises the abdomen it is a sign of refusal as she has probably already mated. Source: Journal of Comparative Physiology - you may have to click on the Look Inside link to read the relevant section.

Filmed hand held with a Nikon Coolpix S9050

7 comments:

  1. We've got more large whites in our garden this year than I have seen for a long time and they're going to chomp their way through our broccoli, but I don't really mind. It's just a pleasure too see them, often several at a time, chasing around the garden - and they do look good on our lavender bushes.

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    1. Lots around here as well Phil. Also on my lavender plants.

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  2. Never seen this before. I'll keep an eye out.

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    1. Can't usually get close enough to see what is going on Adrian. These were preoccupied enough not to notice the camera.

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  3. Useful info John. I often thought it was the male that just needed more practice.{:))

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    1. Roy: Until I read that info I had assumed they must be mating in flight. Sort of 'wham. bam, there you go ma'am'. It's nice to know what is really going on.

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  4. Hello again, John :-)

    Interesting capture, I've been seeing lots of small whites about here and have wondered if there was some mating going on - I'll keep an eye on the abdomen now! It's great to pick up new things on video especially when we've been blogging a while now ;-)

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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