Foraging behaviour and nectar use in adult large copper butterflies, Lycaena dispar (lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Abstract

The foraging behaviour of the endangered butterfly Lycaena dispar Haw. was examined in a wet meadow in Poznań (western Poland) in the summer of 2003. Observations showed that the males spent more time resting (11.3% compared to 5.9%) and less time nectaring (24.8% compared 35%) compared to females. The mean time of one visit on a flower was almost three times shorter in males than in females. In total, adults visited flowers of nine nectar plant species, the most frequent ones were Inula britannica, Lychnis flos-cuculi and Cirsium arvense, which were some of the most abundant plant species there. We observed differences of nectar plant use between sexes and generations of the butterfly, but did not confirm preference for the plant colour.