If caterpillars were made for eating, butterflies are made for mating.
如果说毛毛虫的天职是吃,那么蝴蝶的天职就是交配。
Caterpillars are just juveniles, unable to breed, their lives limited to a leaf or two.
毛毛虫还只是幼体状态,无法进行繁殖,它们的生命被限制在一两片叶子上。
Now they are adults, and wings open up a world of possibilities.
现在它们都成年了,翅膀为它们打开了一个充满可能性的世界。
They compete and flirt, dancing in the air, circling skyward in a butterfly ballet.
它们互相竞争、调情、在空中翩翩起舞、舞动着芭蕾盘旋而上。
When they do mate, they join at the abdomen, facing away from each other.
它们交配时会腹部相连,背对着对方。
How long they stay together varies widely from couple to couple.
交配的时间则因人而异。
Incredibly, some partners stay joined for hours.
令人难以置信的是,有些蝴蝶伴侣甚至会交配几个小时。