Necrophilic Butterfly

Identification - Suastus gremius, palm bob.

I had 23 great shots to choose from, but I kept coming back to this one. I didn't think much about it at the time, except to note that the female looked quite dead. I now wish that I had prodded it to find out for sure.

Zooming in for a closer inspection back at the lab, only the rear pair of legs remain and the body is resting on its thorax. There is a significant open wound just behind the eye which I am pretty sure is where the middle pair of legs have been ripped out. Assuming similar damage on the starboard side, I would say the butterfly looks distinctly deceased.

What started out as a funny blip title, after a little research, actually seems like a distinct possibility, although I found no references to the practice in butterflies. Necrophilic behavior is actually documented in a number of species, including: duck, penguin, cane toad, spiders, mantids and of course humans, so why not butterflies.

Reading about the various laws on the subject was quite enlightening and even scary. Classed as merely a misdemeanor in many US states and some countries are actually pressing to legalize the practice! I am actually feeling quite itchy now, I think I'll have a lie down.

Dave