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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows (Pieridae) » Sulphurs and Yellows (Coliadinae) » Phoebis » Cloudless Sulphur - Hodges#4228 (Phoebis sennae)
Photo#243220
Questionable Behavior - Phoebis sennae - male - female
Copyright © 2008 Shelby Heeter

Questionable Behavior - Phoebis sennae - Male Female
Islamorada, Monroe County, Florida, USA
November 7, 2008
I guess this to be some sort of mating ritual but it was new to me. It went on for several minutes. I believe they are cloudless sulphurs as they are the about the same size as orange-barred but without the orange. I'm curious as to just what they're doing.
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Contributed by Shelby Heeter on 4 December, 2008 - 3:47pm
Last updated 27 November, 2009 - 4:01pm

I'm not a lep person, but I t
I'm not a lep person, but I think this is beautiful photography, good job.
… William Ericson, 4 December, 2008 - 4:30pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks,
Beautiful models help!
… Shelby Heeter, 4 December, 2008 - 7:19pm login or register to post comments

Appears to me
that you've got a male (above) and female (below), and they are courting (a mating dance). Could be that the female rejected the male if they didn't end up together at the end of it.
… David J. Ferguson, 4 December, 2008 - 4:29pm login or register to post comments

 
They didn't mate
but flew off after several minutes. Thanks for the info.
… Shelby Heeter, 4 December, 2008 - 4:51pm login or register to post comments

 
David is correct ...
The female (below) is rejecting the males courtship advances by landing and raising her abdomen up. This makes her physically inaccessible for mating.
… Alan Chin Lee, 4 December, 2008 - 9:34pm login or register to post comments

 
He looked like an attractive enough specimen to me...
Thanks for the additon information and I love your photographs, especially the life cycle series shots.
… Shelby Heeter, 5 December, 2008 - 1:45pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks...
I have recently made it a mission to add as many larval and pupal shots or even life cycles when the opportunities present themselves. You are starting out with a great collection of shots yourself. Continued enjoyment with that project!
… Alan Chin Lee, 5 December, 2008 - 3:06pm login or register to post comments

 
Me too
The life cycle sets have been great. I look forward to seeing more of them. Some of them so far are of species that are rarely seen as photographs, and I'm always anxious to see which might come next. The shots of courship behavior are great too. Most people are waiting for that perfect still shot, and these "action" shots tend to get missed. They show behavior though, and anything that shows behavior is great!
… David J. Ferguson, 8 December, 2008 - 5:01pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
I prefer an interesting to a perfect one, although both would be nice.
… Shelby Heeter, 10 December, 2008 - 3:44pm login or register to post comments

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