UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Reproduction is the ultimate driver of butterfly survival, and courtship behaviours determine whether mating succeeds or fails. Observing these interactions in natural habitats not only reveals species-specific strategies but also adds to the natural history knowledge needed to understand butterflies in diverse ecosystems. Despite the rich butterfly fauna of the Eastern Himalayas, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, systematic field observations of mating behaviour remain extremely limited. To address this, we recorded courtship and mating behaviour in 14 butterfly species at Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary between 2021 and 2023. Across pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons, opportunistic observations were conducted to document male, female, and pair behaviours, along with mating outcomes. Males exhibited a wider range of behaviours, including perching, chasing, and flight pursuit, while females primarily responded with immobility, wing fluttering, and twirling. Species-specific signatures were evident, with circular versus straight chase flights, clockwise versus anti-clockwise twirling, and contrasting carousel orientation. Of the 14 species, six achieved successful copulation (40–168 min), five experienced interruptions, and three were rejected by females. Copulation was longest in Junonia orithya (168 min) and shortest in Heliophorus epicles (40 min). These findings provide the first detailed records of butterfly mating behaviour from Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening natural history records for the region and offering a foundation for future behavioral research on butterflies.