Ecological significance of puddling as a behavioural phenomenon in the life history of butterfly Papilio polytes Linn. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Abstract

• Male abundance in presence of female can enhance the puddling in male P. polytes. • The onset of puddling is directly regulated by variation in the temperature. • The fecundity and longevity of imago are completely unaffected by puddling. • The outcomes of present study elucidate the behavioral significance of puddling. • The results provide the empirical evidences for preexisting hypotheses on puddling. Puddling in butterflies is an essential physiological phenomenon, by which they gain mineral nutrients required for their reproductive success and flight. The preference given to the puddling by butterflies has been analysed by two hypotheses: butterflies puddle when there is a scarcity of nutritional resource in one hypothesis and competition with other males to increase their probability of mating in the other. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to verify these hypotheses through experimental evidences in the butterfly Papilio polytes , in which only males are known to puddle. Our investigation revealed the significance of puddling as an alternative source of nutrition in the absence of nectar. However, increase in the number of males in a given vicinity with constant number of females enhances the puddling activity in males. This shows the importance of puddling as a distinct competitive behaviour by which male improves their chances of mating. Additionally, in both cases the puddling is drastically regulated by the environmental temperature. Males prefer to puddle at a temperature ranging from 26 °C to 28 °C, which is considered as optimum for puddling activity. Further, the fecundity and longevity of imago are completely unaffected by puddling activity. All these results are in good agreement with the existing hypotheses and show the behavioural significance of puddling in butterflies.