Daily dynamics of contest behaviour in the territorial butterfly Chrysozephyrus smaragdinus (Bremer) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

Abstract

Males of the lycaenid butterfly Chrysozephyrus smaragdinus (Bremer) compete for mating territories via non-contact aerial interactions. Field observations revealed that contest duration decreased with increasing time of day. Further analysis showed that air temperature accounted for a significant amount of variability in the contest duration. Air temperature had a negative effect on contest duration, which suggests the influence of heat stress on contest behaviour of the butterfly. However, even when air temperature was taken into account, time of day had a highly significant negative effect on contest duration. A possible underlying mechanism is that males negotiate territorial status at the start of daily territorial activity, resulting in prolonged interactions at this time.