Mating Cydno Longwing [Explored]

Butterflies mating is serious business. Male butterflies find females by sight, and use chemicals called pheromones at close range. When the male butterfly recognizes a female of his own species, he quickly pursues her and begins the rituals of courtship. If the female accepts the male, they couple end to end and may go on a short courtship flight. Butterflies mate facing in opposite directions with their abdomens attached. They may remain coupled for an hour or more, sometimes overnight. The male passes a sperm packet called a spermatorphore to the female. The sperm then fertilize each egg as it passes down the female's egg-laying tube.

After mating the butterfly has done what it was created for – to continue the species. Males will die 6-8 weeks after using up all their sperm mating with a succession of females. Similarly the female will die after she has laid all her eggs, usually between 150 and 500. Only a few of these eggs will mature to become butterflies – some will become food for predators or succumb to parasites etc.

The picture of the mating Cydno Longwings (Heliconius cydno) is taken in butterfly house "Vlindervallei" (Butterfly Valley), part of the "Orchideeënhoeve" (Orchid Farm) in Luttelgeest, the Netherlands.

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All rights reserved. Copyright © Martien Uiterweerd (Foto Martien). All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission.

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