Abstract
Flight activity and thoracic temperature (T,,) were recorded during varying conditions of ambient light for male Calisto nubila Lathy in a tropical forest. Flight activity was much reduced during cloudy conditions. Since ambient temperature (Ta) was similar during cloudy and sunny conditions, this reduction apparently reflects the importance of basking in elevating Th to levels permitting frequent flight. During sunny conditions, Tth for basking and flying butterflies were approximately 4.50C and 2.50C above Ta, respectively. These values suggest that basking and flying represent alternating periods of heating and cooling, respectively. Males were occasionally observed to tilt their body to increase exposure to solar radiation. Experiments with freshly killed specimens revealed that tilting butterflies heated more rapidly than upright ones. The present findings are briefly compared with those reported for another tropical satyrid.
Published Version
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