“On the morning of 29th October 2014, I was along forest edge and witnessed bouts of confrontational behaviour between two male Dark Brand Bush Brown butterflies (Mycalesis mineus macromalayana, family Nymphalidae, subfamily Satyrinae).
“In between frantic chasing flights, there were brief moments when both were perched together upon leaves and apparently engaged in sparring sessions. The challenger male would face his opponent at a right angle and flash his wings deliberately at steady intervals (above).
“In response, the male being confronted would issue a quick flick of his wings, clearly knocking the front margin of the challenger’s forewings (above).
“A video clip of these competitive males (with wing flashing and flicking) may be previewed here:
“The butterfly that flew away may have admitted defeat and moved on in search of another territory to call his own, while the victorious male stood his ground to improve his chances of finding a mate.”
Dr. Leong Tzi Ming
Singapore
31st January 2015