Observation date: July 13, 2020
Submitted by: dbrudin
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Two butterflies look like they were doing some type of pre-mating ritual
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: February 12, 2023
Coordinator notes: These are two newly emerged Northwestern Fritillaries (subspecies electa)...zerene has larger, rounder silver spots on the underside. NWern is the most common of the frits in western Colorado. When fresh, many species of butterflies seek wet ground to absorb minerals and this is exactly what these two males were doing...not anything to do with mating. Unlike humans, male butterflies are not perverted and don't mate with other males. Sometimes they do mate with a female of a different species but not commonly. Mike
