Butterflies showing off
IN the insect world finding a suitable mate can be a big challenge and with such limited time on their hands - most insects will die after just a few days - our love bugs need to pull out all the stops.
Dancing, serenades, pheromones and even gifts are exchanged in the hopes of wooing a potential partner and continuing their gene pool.
In the case of butterflies, it’s all about showing off.
Those bright colours and beautiful patterns are all ways of signalling that they are looking for love.
The variation in colour and pattern allows the different species to be distinguished from one another and also help them differentiate between males and females.
When a male recognises a female of his own species he quickly pursues her and begins his courtship ritual – dancing.
In many species, the female demands to see the male’s dance moves before he can come any closer; one false move could be the difference between a hot date and a microwave meal for one.
Serenading is another tried and tested tactic in the love bug world.
Ever been kept awake at night by an irritating buzz around your head?
It could be the sound of two loved-up mosquitos in the middle of a harmonic duet nearby.
Syncing up the frequency of their wing beats to create the ultimate love anthem.
Flying by night, you could say that moths are pretty into the blinddating scene but not being able to see one another doesn’t stop our love bugs from finding the moth of their dreams.
How?
By using pheromones. Females will produce chemicals (called pheromones) to let males in the area know she is ready for a committed relationship.
Male moth antennae are exquisitely sensitive to pheromones released by females of the same species and can even detect females from a mile away.
Mating can be a dangerous game in the case of the male scorpion fly who risks getting eaten alive for the sake of love.
In a desperate attempt to distract the female, he presents her with a ‘nuptial gift’ – frequently a dead insect snatched from the web of a spider – the equivalent of a box of chocolates.
Love them or loathe them, insects are vital in supporting a healthy, wildlife-rich city.
We should be celebrating and enhancing our insect-life in our gardens, our neighbourhoods, local greenspaces and parks.
There are plenty of ways you can show insects some love this year.
Why not get ready for Manchester Festival of Nature in June, which this year will be themed around insects.
Start recording insects on the iNaturalist app as we prepare to take part in global wildlife recording competition, City Nature Challenge, for the second year in a row this April.
Visit our webpage www.lancswt.org.uk/ mywildcity to find out more about our My Wild City project and request your free My Wild Garden pack to improve your garden for insects and other wildlife year-round.