Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 12 | Article 138 Caballero-Mendieta and Cordero Journal of Insect Science | www.insectscience.org 1 Enigmatic liaisons in Lepidoptera: A review of same-sex courtship and copulation in butterflies and moths Nubia Caballero-Mendieta 1a and Carlos Cordero 2b * 1 Posgrado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México. 2 Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México. Abstract Same-sex sexual interactions (SSSI) have been observed in many animal groups and have intrigued evolutionists. In this paper, reports on SSSI in Lepidoptera are reviewed and evolutionary hypotheses that could explain these behaviors are discussed. SSSI have been documented in males of 25 species and in females from role-reversed populations of one species. Four types of SSSI have been reported: pupal guarding, courtship, copulation attempt, and copulation. Although the hypotheses cannot be tested with the limited data, evidence suggests that in some Lepidoptera SSSI could result from selection for imposing costs on other males, or could be a by-product of sexual selection favoring individuals that exhibit high sexual willingness. In agreement with both hypotheses, in the 17 species whose mating systems are known, there is intense competition for mates in the sex exhibiting SSSI. We propose lines of research on SSSI in Lepidoptera. Abbreviations: SSSI, same-sex sexual interactions Keywords: homosexuality, mating system, sexual selection Correspondence: a cromosomitaxx@yahoo.com.mx , b cordero@ecologia.unam.mx , * Corresponding author Editor: Todd Shelly was editor of this paper. Received: 28 November 2011 Accepted: 12 April 2012 Copyright : This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed. ISSN: 1536-2442 | Vol. 12, Number 138 Cite this paper as: Caballero-Mendieta N, Cordero C. 2012. Enigmatic liaisons in Lepidoptera: A review of same-sex courtship and copulation in butterflies and moths. Journal of Insect Science 12:138. Available online: http://www.insectscience.org/12.138 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/12/1/138/891684 by guest on 30 January 2023