Observation date: June 11, 2020
Submitted by: dbrudin
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Defending territory, ushering off Chryxus Arctic several times. Territory seemed to be centered around fallen dead branch on ground on a sunny grassy hillside.
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: September 02, 2020
Coordinator notes: Your probability is correct....the Nevada Skipper. A misnomer....butterflies do not "defend any territory." Males (as this one) go to a "genetic mating site" to wait for females. They fly off to investigate anything that comes near in order to determine if it is a female of its species with which to mate. The term is "rait" (rest and wait) or raiting. Other butterflies (larger ones normally) mate locate by flying a distance and then rest again (sometimes at the same spot like on a branch or bush)....flait or flaiting (fly and wait) and male in other species continually fly to find females to mate.....fleek or fleeking (fly and seek). Butterflies are insects and the terms applied to the behavior of higher animals do not apply to them. Someday, this order will become adopted as the correct order in science with regard to mate location behavior in insects. Mike
