I am interested in why females choose their mates and what male characteristics are of importance when a female makes her decision. My current research focuses on the orange sulphur butterfly, Colias eurytheme . Males are capable of reflecting ultraviolet light due to specialized scales on the dorsal sideof their wings.
Males also produce pheromones which are deposited onto the waxy outer covering of the wings.
So far, my research has shown that female prefer to mate with males that are brighter in their UV reflectance, but the data are still being analyzed on the pheromone front. Complicating the whole issue is the problem of the Yellow Sulphur, Colias philodice . My research will address the question of what happens to female choice in areas of sympatry versus allopatry.