Butterfly Mating

High Wire Act?

(Click on the picture to view or download a full 4K version)

The story of this picture:

I was watching two butterflies cavorting about in the air over and around my flowers.
They seemed ot interact with one another and showed no interest in visiting the blossoms.

After a little while, they landed on the ground nest to one another,
tTe larger of the two landed first and then the smaller very soon after and right near.
I am thinking that I was witnessing a mating ritual with the larger being the female.
She sat relatively motionless and he moved close.
You can see the blur of his wing nearer the female because he was fluttering it.

Comments about the picture:

They were about 3 feet from me and seemed to be too preoccupied to notice me.

This photo was shot April 10, 2022 in my back yard. Camera: Panasonic DC-G9