Lepidoptera in the Arboretum

On May 7, 2015, after unsuccessfully taking photos of squirrels for our group's independent study, I decided that, since I had my camera with me, I might as well head into the Arboretum surrounding Western Washington University. After spending three hours in the Arb, one particular order peaked my interest: Lepidoptera. I'd be lying if I said that invertebrates spark my interest. Even something as beautiful and diverse as butterflies don't exactly have me scrambling to learn the different species and behaviors behind them. Something about these Lepidoptera had me staying for hours watching them. It wasn't necessarily their beautiful colors, but the behavior they exhibited.

Male Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

The one thing that kept me staying was a pair of Red Admirals fluttering together as if in combat. After doing some research, I found out that male butterflies perform a territorial behavior called patrolling. This is when a male will chase off another male in their territory. At several points throughout my stay, Red Admirals chased each other off and one chased off a male Comma. The beating of the wings against each other sounded similar to a large bumblebee buzzing. So you can only imagine the horror I felt when I first heard it right about my head. However, there is controversy whether it is a territorial behavior or a means of getting close enough to smell the pheromones of the other butterfly to determine its sex and species.

Video by Jonathan Silvertown of two speckled wood butterflies in "combat" 

A Red Admiral getting comfortable on my backpack.
You can almost hear him say, "Hello. Do you have time
to hear about our Lord and Savior, Mothra?"  

 Spending some time with them also brought truth to the phrase "social butterfly". After about 30 mins of sitting around watching them and taking photos, they began to flutter closer and closer to me until they were perched on my backpack and the bill of my hat. I have never felt more exhilarated than to have this little creature feel comfortable enough to land on my hat. And not only were they so social, they were adorable! Yea, I know most of you are thinking "Insects? Adorable?", BUT LOOK AT THAT FACE! They truly have an "aww-factor" of their own. Another notable behavior I saw was basking. I always thought butterflies kept its wings open when it landed for attracting mates, but it actually has another purpose. Butterflies are cold-blooded and use the sun's heat to help regulate temperature.

Male Comma

They do this by opening up their wings and facing them towards the sun. It took me some time to realize they were purposely facing towards the sun every time. Then, when they start to get too warm they simply fold their wings up. It was amazing to watch these creatures and how they interacted with each other and with humans. People passing by were also stopping to watch the butterflies and were baffled with how close they could get before their new friends would flutter away. These butterflies were a joy to watch and as the sun started to slowly set, and little sunlight was peeking through the trees it was time to pack up and head out. This experience not only educated me on the behaviors of some Lepidoptera, it also unearthed a new found appreciation for the expansive invertebrate species.

Close up of Red Admiral wings 

No longer will I turn a blind eye and scoff at the little creatures, but explore what little quirks and habits they have! Except don't expect me to jump in and start handling them. That will take a whole different pivotal moment

When they start to warm up too much they fold their wings up. Look at that cute little face!