Its not just butterflies, but most of the insects in Rain forests act dead whenever they are threatened. I have also seen it extensively in beetles and bugs, which act dead and just fall off the branches.
I think it is mostly because the predator will not be able to notice them with all their camouflaging techniques, if they are not moving and also it helps them to escape. I mean in a thick forest, if an insect acts dead n falls off, nothing will happen to it amidst the thick foliage !!! I have also seen what Micheal has explained. I think that mostly happens during puddling frenzy, when they all go crazy, completely oblivious to whats happening around them. I have seen all sorts of weird things during puddling. Like I slept next to a Paris Peacock ( Papilio paris) for hours together, where as, it continue to puddle in my presence. Chocolate Albatross ( Appias lyncida) was flat on ground sidewise with its wings closed, when its co-puddlers stamped onto it, but amazingly it continue to puddle and became straight, once the other butterflies left the place. I have seen hundreds of crows ( Euploea spp.) literally completely flat on the ground, again with their wings closed, puddling, where their co-puddlers are all standing on these grounded butterflies !!! I have gently shoved the abdomen of a Red Helen ( Papilio helenus ) when it was puddling and you know what, it did not budge a single mm !!! Kishen On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 5:39 AM, nalini bhat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Kishen ji, > > I am also a member of Indiantreepix Group. I had sent a query. The Answer I > received, I am forwarding here. > My questions is: why would B'flies ACT dead? Can it not be dangerous, if a > butterfly ACTs dead and in the meantime it is collected and pinned? or > someone steps on it? > Does anyone know, if insects get drunk? > Regards > Nalini > > ############### > I wonder, has anyone seen or read, that bees, butterflies etc prefer to > drink fermented fruit sap, nectar rather than normal sap, and if they get > drunk afterwards? I have read that in laboratories experiments are carried > out to this respect. But in nature, does any insect get drunk? In my > garden I have seen many bees drinking sap of fallen mirabelles, but havn't > seen drunken bees so far. > Regards > Nalini > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Pankaj Oudhia <[email protected]> > *To:* efloraofindia <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, August 05, 2010 8:18 PM > *Subject:* Re: [efloraofindia:43535] bumble bee rehabilitation > > Nalini ji, > > I posted your query to Entomo-L list. I have received one response so far. > Please see the message pasted below. > > ----- > Many years ago I watched various bees, wasps, and butterflies congregating > on a > sand pine (Pinus clausa). The butterflies in particular would perch on > foliage > and then then drop as if dead to the ground. A few minutes later they'd > flutter > back to their perch and do it again. In the spring, sand pines are known to > heavily produce volatiles and I couldn't help but think that the > butterflies > were getting drunk on the compounds. > > ---- > Michael C. Thomas, Ph.D. > Florida State Collection of Arthropods > Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services > P.O. Box 147100 > Gainesville, FL 32614-7100 > 352-372-3505 ext 187 > [email protected]<http://classic.netaddress.com/tpl/Message/523ZQGDLS/[email protected]> > -------- > > regards > > Pankaj Oudhia > > > -- Enjoy
