Common Mormon Courtship
Was lucky to get a chance to observe the courtship of a pair of Common Mormons. The female, who had lost a portion of its tail, perched on the leaf of a hibiscus plant with wings open. Then the male approached and danced about hovering above before settling into position. The female of the Common Mormon is polymorphic. In South Asia, it has three forms or morphs which is the reason for the name, it being an allusion to the polygamy formerly practiced by members of the Mormon sect according to the Natural History Museum in London. In India, this butterfly is considered as the classic example of Batesian Mimicry in which edible species resemble unpalatable butterflies in order to escape being eaten by predators.
Source: Wikipedia.
Common Mormon Courtship
Was lucky to get a chance to observe the courtship of a pair of Common Mormons. The female, who had lost a portion of its tail, perched on the leaf of a hibiscus plant with wings open. Then the male approached and danced about hovering above before settling into position. The female of the Common Mormon is polymorphic. In South Asia, it has three forms or morphs which is the reason for the name, it being an allusion to the polygamy formerly practiced by members of the Mormon sect according to the Natural History Museum in London. In India, this butterfly is considered as the classic example of Batesian Mimicry in which edible species resemble unpalatable butterflies in order to escape being eaten by predators.
Source: Wikipedia.