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Territorial Habits of Common Eggfly

Male butterflies are believed to look for their mate by eye-sight. Some species, such as the Australian Crow and Orchard Swallowtail, patrol the field in search of females. Some species, e.g. the Glasswing Butterfly and Dingy Swallowtail, are gathering around hill tops.  Some other species, like the Common Eggfly that we are discussing here, take up and wait in good positions, such as the opening and clearings,  where the females will pass by.
 
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In Wishart Outlook along the Bulimba Creek, there is a foot path good for jogging. There are gum trees, wattles and thick tall grasses on both sides of the path. From mid to late summer, we can always see many male Common Eggfly Butterflies along the path. Each male butterfly has his own territorial about thirty to forty meters apart. They usually rest on a leaf about one to two meters above ground. Any flying object come near by, the male butterfly will fly to it and check. If it is another Common Eggfly male. there will be a combat between them. They will chase each other and sometimes with body contact. The combat may last for a few minutes. Then one of the males will come back, usually the original territorial owner, sits back to where it rests before.
 
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Because of the their combat, broken wings males are quite common.
 
On a hot summer afternoon, I walked along the footpath and stopped to watch a Common Eggfly Butterfly. I saw the male Common Eggfly resting on a tree, chasing for other flying objects as it usually did. Watching it for about five minutes, the butterfly disappeared. Carefully looking for it, from my shadow I found that the butterfly was resting on the top of my hat. It might think that my hat, where I was standing at the middle of the path, was a better place to guard his territorial. Chasing away other  males a few times and he always came back to my hat. The above pictures was taken by putting my hat on a tripod. 
 
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Up ] Mating and Reproduction ] Courtshipping ] [ Territorial Habits of Common Eggfly ] Parental Care ] Work for the Young ] Bug's strong hind legs ] Stick Insect Mate finding ]


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Last updated: November 06, 2006.