Talk:Pontia protodice

Edits for Behavioral Ecology class

I am a student at Washington University in St. Louis working on the behavior of P.protodice, specifically focusing on its mating system. I will add more information throughout the semester. Wmhua (talk) 14:06, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

I changed the "Habitat" section to a "Distribution" section as I felt that was more appropriate. Also I noticed that the pictures alter the format of the page and was wondering if there was a way to fix that. I didn't feel comfortable trying but maybe someone else would. Another area of improvement could be information on predator-prey relationships. Maximilianzhang (talk) 00:12, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

I removed the extra reference list that was previously embedded unnecessarily in the behavior section. I also changed some of the headings per Wikipedia's preferences (they only capitalize the first word of their titles and subtitles, nothing more). Additionally, I made grammatical edits. I think some areas to add could be behavior regarding: 1) reproduction and development 2) mating system (polyandrous, monogamous, etc.) 3) potential territoriality. I also think you could discuss the larval stages, and its relationship in the development and reproduction. Ichooxu (talk) 03:33, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

Peer Review:

1.I think it would be great to explain a little more about what paternal investment is and how it determines the reproductive interests of the male in contrast to that of the female. I know there is a link to paternal investment but I think a short sentence would be a quick way to explain the significance of paternal investment to this species’ reproductive strategies.

2.I think it would be kind of interesting to see if female initiative is related at all to the greater paternal investment relative to maternal investment.

3.The first sentence in courtship poses (“In courtships, females land on exposed perches…”) is a little confusing and any clarification about the significance/ meaning behind the different “major events” would make the sentence more useful.

I thought the information on this article was very concise and informative. Good job!

Amruthapk (talk) 03:03, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Suggestion: The behavior section of this article is very well written. I have a few suggestions for getting your good article status. First, you should lengthen you lead, so that it summarizes all the major points in the article. In the body of the article, there are still some paragraphs that do not have citations. Furthermore, you should add information on the taxonomy, habitat, and life cycle of this butterfly. If you find more information on the distribution, appearance and food sources of this butterfly, they would be nice additions.Abuatois (talk) 04:34, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

I agree with Abuatois (talk) about the lead. It should definitely be expanded according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Lead_section. The article may take some time to read through and process, but it is definitely helpful! There needs to be more thorough attention to citations. The first paragraph of the description section is missing a citation as well as "Nectar Plants" and "Host Plants". The rest of the article could also use a little more citations throughout. Generally, almost every sentence should follow with a citation of where the information in that sentence came from. If at all possible, it would be great to see a section detailing the caterpillar and life cycle of the butterfly, especially since there is a photo of the caterpillar to accompany that information. The "Behavior" section is extremely well done! I would recommend adding a few more Wikilinks to help clear up some of the more difficult topics, especially throughout the "Behavior" section. Ashleynlin (talk) 03:33, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

General Comments for Behavioral Ecology Class

The page was written extremely well as it was clear, concise, and neutral. It also contained detailed and relevant information about the butterfly’s mating behavior. I thought it was interesting that males prefer to mate with younger females, and can distinguish age as older females have dorsal wings that reflect more ultraviolet light. However, I believe the article should expand on other behavioral topics about the checkered white butterfly. I have listed a few topics below that could be used to supplement the existing article:

1. Defense: The page does not mention potential predators and how these butterflies defend against them. Defense mechanisms would reveal much about the butterfly’s behavioral characteristics. 2. Aggression/Competition: The page does not discuss if and how competition occurs between the butterflies. Adding if the butterflies are territorial or how they compete for resources would greatly expand the scope of this page and the understanding of the butterfly’s behavior. 3. Host Plant Selection: The page lists the host plants, but does not explain why the plants are beneficial for the eggs and how the female butterfly determines the quality of the plant. Information on this could enhance the understanding of female behavior during reproduction. CR.Tracy (talk) 02:25, 15 September 2017 (UTC)