132 
Psyche 
[Vol. 94 
with egg masses tended to droop slightly. Leaf hairs and the mid rib 
near the egg mass on these leaves were chewed by the female prior to 
oviposition. The significance of this behavior is unclear. A drooping 
leaf increases concealment of the female on her clutch. It also better 
shields them from insolation. Bruising of the leaf tissue may 
mechanically prepare the site for the first feeding of her larvae or 
prevent the induction of plant defensive chemicals to the area of first 
larval feeding. 
The median number of eggs per egg mass is 40 (n = 126, range = 
13 to 49). The frequency distribution is skewed to the left (Fig. 2). 
The number of eggs per egg mass did not differ significantly between 
the three study sites (Kruskal Wallis one-way analysis of variance, 
H = 1.99, df = 2, p = 0.37). The number of eggs in an egg mass and 
the width of the guarding female’s elytra were positively correlated 
(Spearman r = 0.75, n = 46, p < 0.01). Although the number of eggs 
per egg mass is correlated with female size, other factors such as 
mother’s age or ovipositional history may also influence clutch size. 
Table 1. The distribution of (A) large, solitary males, (B) solitary females, (C) 
copulating pairs, (D) females on eggs, (E) females with larvae, and (F) the number of 
leaves on M. umbellata vines recorded by leaf number from the first unfolded leaf at 
the apex. Median values are indicated by asterisks. 
Leaf 
Number 
A 
B 
C 
D 
E 
F 
1 
9 
1 
4 
2 
9 
12 
1 
3 
3 
17 
6 
4 
11 
4 
*15 
3 
* 2 
*11 
2 
5 
9 
* 2 
1 
10 
2 
2 
6 
6 
4 
3 
4 
2 
4 
7 
1 
4 
1 
5 
4 
1 
8 
3 
6 
3 
1 
3 
9 
2 
1 
2 
* 5 
3 
10 
1 
3 
2 
1 
11 
3 
1 
1 
7 
12 
2 
1 
1 
* 2 
13 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
14 
2 
2 
1 
1 
2 
15 
1 
4 
16 
1 
1 
2 
>16 
3 
1 
14 
1 
11 
Totals 
83 
45 
14 
58 
24 
44 
