Lekking butterflies typically defend territories using acrobatic aerial pursuits. Focal-method observations on marked Charis cadytis in SE Brazil revealed an unusual lek organization in which contest males disputed small core areas, whereas non-combative satellite males perched just outside their borders. Territorial interactions commonly began with two adversaries facing one another in a slow, non-contact ascending flight seemingly related to assessment. In disputes that continued, rival males perched on leaves where they engaged in one or more pushing bouts separated by short pursuits. In these sumo-like contests, obliquely facing males pushed their partially opened wings against one another until one was tilted sideways and flew off. Contest structure may be controlled by intruders that, by perching, provoke low-intensity contests that help prolong their stay in high-quality mating areas.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Philip DeVries and an anonymous referee for their encouragement and helpful comments on the manuscript. Keith S. Brown, André V. L. Freitas, Helena P. Romanowski, Ronaldo B. Francini and Marcio R. Pie provided useful discussions and suggestions during earlier phases of the work. GWC and CEGP were supported by graduate fellowships from the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CNPq). WWB was supported during early phases of the work by a CNPq Research Fellowship. Lodging at the study site and authorization to conduct studies in the Environmental Protection Zone of the Serra do Japí were provided by the Municipal Government of Jundiaí
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Chaves, G.W., Patto, C.E.G. & Benson, W.W. Complex Non-Aerial Contests in the Lekking Butterfly Charis cadytis (Riodinidae). J Insect Behav 19, 179–196 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9016-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-006-9016-5