Protective devices by Lycaenid butterflies against the attacks of lizards and birds
C. L. Collenette’s short note argues that the eye-spots and tails of Lycaenid butterflies in Malaya function primarily as protection against lizards rather than birds.
Summary
Collenette observes that Lycaenids in Malaya live close to the ground, alighting at heights of 4–6 ft. when disturbed, and that birds are uncommon in the lower jungle while lizards are abundant at low elevations. He notes that lizards approach prey from a branch and climb out from the base of a leaf, making the tail-end of the butterfly the most vulnerable point. His observations of settling behaviour—butterflies choosing exposed upper-leaf positions with the head lower than the tail—suggest the protective apparatus is oriented toward the branch side, i.e., toward the direction from which a lizard would approach (p. 231).
To test the hypothesis experimentally, Collenette liberated 17 Lycaenids in a room in Penang in January 1921 alongside Hemidactylus frenatus (Chi-chah). Three butterflies were attacked: one was taken by the head and eaten, while two were attacked from the tail and escaped when the lizard’s snap missed entirely (p. 231). He further notes that the broken portions of worn hind wings resemble the rounded shape of a lizard’s mouth rather than a bird’s bill, and that the proportion of Lycaenids with damaged hind wings may reach 10% in specimens that have been flying for several days (p. 231).