[Taxacom] Taxacom Digest, Vol 147, Issue 15

[Adam Cotton]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lívia" <lrpinheiro at gmail.com>
To: <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2018 1:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Taxacom Digest, Vol 147, Issue 15
>
> All moths I've seen were copulating on leaves or sticks. I think this
> probably has to do with the overwhelming importance of chemical
> communication: if visual cues are not that important, or important at all,
> and the short-range male pheromones, appear to have a major role in the
> female choice (as it has been demonstrated to several moth species), it
> simply doesn't make much sense to copulate while flying.
>
>
>


Butterflies don't "copulate while flying", but the female will *fly while 
copulating* if disturbed, with the male hanging inert below her.

They will not normally take flight during copulation unless they feel 
threatened or are physically disturbed.

I suspect that many moths would behave similarly, except we normally don't 
see nocturnal moths copulating in nature. I have seen day flying Syntomiinae 
take flight while copulating if disturbed, in a similar manner to 
butterflies.

Adam.