Monarchs Mating in Our Front Yard!

Monarchs doing what they do.

    



Two days ago, in the late afternoon, I was preparing a papaya for dinner. It was a juicy one and messy. Suddenly I heard Sandra (who had climbed our driveway to retrieve the mail) yelling for me. Thinking she was in trouble, I dashed to her aid.

"Are you all right?" I queried.

"There's two butterflies on the ground!" she yelled back.


Now here is a lady in touch with her priorities. This butterfly shit is an emergency!

I made my messy papaya way up to where Sandra was standing. There on the stone step, as advertised, were a pair of Monarch Butterflies, one on top of the other.

Schmoopie had already enjoyed an eye full, so she was dispatched to get a phone (ten years ago it would have been a camera) while I watched the action. What I witnessed was surprisingly violent. One has to assume that it was the male who was on top. He changed position frequently, always keeping the damsel underneath.


Sandra returned with her phone and attempted to take a video. Following that, she took several still shots, which was a good thing, because between the two of us we were unable to produce a video. All of this fetching and photography took five minutes. I said something like, "How long do you think they will go at it?"

Photos courtesy of SKG Studios, Sherman Oaks, Ca.




Sandra is an excellent reader and so she had a much better idea than I. She replied, "The books say this can go on for up to16 hours." We have since verified this, looking specifically at mating behavior in Monarchs, with Mr. Google. After a few more minutes of observation, during which I alternately felt like a voyeur or perhaps that I ought to call the domestic violence team down at Kailua PD, it was apparent that this was going to go on for a while and we might as well leave them to it.

As it turned out we went in and watched the news and had dinner. When we went out after, it was getting dark and the butterflies were either going at it somewhere else, or they had completed the transfer of genetic material and conjugal gifts.


As above, the movie may exist somewhere in Schmoopie's phone, but if it does neither of us can find it. We did have four serviceable still pictures, however, and you can see the two best here. We sent two to Caitlin back in the lower 48 and by the next morning she had replied. "Yes," she said, "that's two butterflies doing what they do."


That Caitlin LaBar is one delicate wordsmith.


For my part, I'm wondering if that male Monarch should be applying for work at one of those seedy video establishments in Sherman Oaks.

jeff