Data from: Strategic variation in male courtship persistence in the butterfly Eurema hecabe
Data files
Oct 16, 2025 version files 156.32 KB
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Dummy_observations_publication.xlsx
22.91 KB
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Emergence_data_publication.xlsx
24.79 KB
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General_observations_publication.xlsx
81.33 KB
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Pursuit_observations_publication.xlsx
23.58 KB
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README.md
3.71 KB
Abstract
This dataset has four datasets analyzed: Pursuit_observations_publication, General_observations_publication, Dummy_observations_publication, and Emergence_data_publication. The pursuit observations dataset was used to analyze how male Eurema hecabe invest time in courting unreceptive females over morning hours. The general observations dataset was collected by scoring butterfly behaviors from video footage of E. hecabe habitats over the morning hours. A dummy observations dataset was collected by recording butterfly behaviors from video footage of two E. hecabe females resembling dummies. The emergence dataset was collected in a glasshouse-reared population of E. hecabe, where each emerging butterfly was recorded over morning hours to see when most individuals eclose.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.n5tb2rc6r
Description of the data and file structure
The Pursuit_observations_publication.xlsx has field measurements on pursuit flights observed and recorded by hand during 15-minute experimental bouts (while cameras A, B, and C recorded general observations and dummy observations). Data columns include date, time (the hour during which observation was started), site, duration of observed pursuit flight in seconds (s), temperature (degrees Celsius), and humidity (% measured with a portable weather station on site for each hour). Approach and reject types of interactions were marked as 0 seconds long.
Variables
- Date
- Time (the hour during which observation was started)
- Site
- Duration (s) (the duration of observed pursuit flight in seconds)
- Temperature (degrees Celsius)
- Humidity (%)
The General_observations_publication.xlsx has the behaviours scored from video footage of the two GoPro cameras. Data column includes camera (indicated as A and B), day, hour (the hour during which observation was started), minute (counting from the beginning of each recording), individual (a running number of scored butterflies across all experimental days), sex, behaviour, height (the height at which an individual was observed at the time of scoring, as a ratio of the overall height of the vegetation), harassment type, and number of pursuits counted during each recording.
Variables
- Camera (indicated as A and B)
- Day
- Hour (the hour during which observation was started)
- Minute (counting from the beginning of each recording)
- Individual (a running number of scored butterflies across all experimental days)
- Sex
- Behaviour
- Height (the height at which an individual was observed at the time of scoring, as a ratio of the overall height of the vegetation)
- Harassment type
- Number of pursuits (counted during each recording)
The Dummy_observations_publication.xlsx has observations scored from a video recording of the Go Pro camera C filming the two E. hecabe female-resembling dummies. The data columns are camera (camera C), day, hour (the hour during which observation was started), time (in minutes and seconds counting from the beginning of each recording), sex, model (lower indicated as L and higher as H), duration (s) (the duration that a male interacted with the model in seconds), and note.
- Camera
- Day
- Hour (the hour during which observation was started)
- Time (in minutes and seconds, counting from the beginning of each recording)
- Sex
- Model (lower indicated as L and higher as H)
- Duration (s) (the duration that a male interacted with the model in seconds)
- Note
The Emergence_data_publication.xlsx has data on each observed eclosion event observed in a saturated Eurema hecabe population in glasshouse conditions over 27-28. Nov 2023. The data columns are date, emerging time (recorded in 30 min intervals), relative height (in relation to the overall height of the host plant where the individual was pupated), location (marked as 1 for host plant, 2 for other plant, and 3 for other items, according to where the pupa was found), temperature, humidity, and note.
- Date
- Emerging time (recorded in 30-minute intervals)
- Relative height (of the overall height of the host plant where the individual was pupated)
- Location (marked as 1 for host plant, 2 for other plant, and 3 for other items, according to where the pupa was found)
- Temperature (degrees Celsius)
- Humidity (%)
- Note
All missing data represented as NA.
Code/software
Microsoft Excel