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Volume 31, Number 3
203
female was a worn P. occidentalis of the "calyce" phenotype. Her phenotype is quite unambiguous and easily told from the 24 female protodice collected the same afternoon, which represent a large range of variation from summer to "vernalis" pheno-types. The habitat is annual grassland and foothill woodland developed on dredge tailings, and is a classic locality for large populations of P. protodice breeding on the weedy mustard Brassica geniculata. No other occidentalis were observed alive, and no occidentalis tendency appeared in a sample of 76 protodice collected for study in an hour.
The nearest 6000-foot contours on the map are 50-70 miles from Rancho Cordova (USGS 1:250,000 "Sacramento" topographic sheet). P. occidentalis of similar phenotype and in mixed condition were still flying in Donner Pass at 7000 feet on 15 October 1976. Prevailing winds during the week prior to the record were very light northeasterly, i.e., downslope, and weather conditions were clear, warm, and dry. My trip was not pre-scheduled so there is no chance of a deliberate release having been made as a hoax by a student, and in the huge protodice population any deliberate release would probably not have been recognized. I see no alternative but to regard this as an extreme instance of individual long-range dispersal in a non-migratory species. The fact that it turned up in what is probably the best protodice habitat on the floor of the Sacramento Valley suggests habitat selection by the female once she did get down near sea level, since the ecologies of the two species are so similar. How many such individual dispersals actually occur? And what are the potential consequences, say for gene flow, of events which are so unlikely to come to our attention? Records indicating long-range dispersal, properly documented, are not trivial, and have considerably more scientific value than their traditional role as bizarre additions to local lists.
Arthur M. Shapiro, Department of Zoology, University of California, Davis, California 95616.
THE BEHAVIOUR OF AN INEBRIATED OPSIPHANES CASSIAE (BRASSOLIDAE)
A female of Opsiphanes cassiae L., known in Costa Rica as "mariposa pacayera" or palm butterfly, drifted at dusk from the forest into a room where it flew and perched in places where light was subdued, until it arrived at a table where a bottle of a sound red wine (Rubion, Paul Masson, California, alcohol 12%/vol.) had been recently uncorked and left to breathe. The insect circled the bottle a few times before landing on the table surface and assuming a normal resting position. I then placed a drop of wine some 10 cm away from the butterfly which shyly retreated from my hand, remained motionless for a moment and then approached the drop, extended its proboscis and drank at its leisure. After some five minutes there were obvious changes in the behaviour of the insect.
First, some very slow up and down flapping of wings, followed by forewings being lowered and directed forward with brisk movements several times, hindwings remaining upright. With forewings in this position, the hindwings also moved forward, without lowering, until these were propped far ahead of their normal resting position. The abdomen remained motionless. Antennae were lowered until they touched the table and then shot backwards. Movement of fore-, hindwings and antennae were repeated several times in the same order of events.
After a brief period of inactivity, a hopping spastic side-walking took place alternating with wing and antennae motions as well as a tremulous and agitated moving of the legs. More wine was offered to the insect which sipped it directly from my fingertip after a somewhat hesitant uncoiling of proboscis. Another sequence
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
of the behaviour described above was observed until all wings were placed flat on the table although they were not limp and flaccid. A few forward strokes of fore-wings followed by a very fast vibratory flapping preceded a period of inaction. A few minutes later the butterfly took flight in a close-spiralling pattern towards an incandescent light, hitting the hot bulb several times, alighting and again attempting flight to the light source close to which it finally perched. After a few hours it resumed normal behaviour and flew away the next day.
As these butterflies, like other Brassolidae, feed, among other things, on fermenting juices of fruit, it would be interesting to determine the alcoholic content of some of their foods and the possible influence on butterfly behaviour and survival in nature.
Luis D. Gomez, Departamento de Historia Natural, Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.