Every now and then, a group of swallowtails gather on moist compost to suck the water. This time,
they had a feast. I thought I might get photographs of some frisky business, but it turns out that it was probably an all-male gathering. They were puddling, or mud-puddling.
Here’s the story: “several species of butterflies need more sodium than provided by nectar. … In many species, this Mud-puddling behaviour is restricted to the males and studies have suggested that the nutrients collected are provided as a nuptial gift along with the spermatophore during mating. [27]“
Puddling is an old word with many meanings, including
- an obsolete method for purifying pig iron (metallurgy),
- a method for producing waterproof puddle or lining an existing area with puddle (engineering),
- the process of stripping soil and clay from minerals using water (mining), and
- the process by which butterflies extract nutrients from damp surfaces (biology).
So that’s what the butterflies were doing together on the compost.
Here are a few shots of the butterflies at work collecting nutrients for their nuptial gift:
they’re very busy together.
(and I do mean together).
Look at the butterflies!!! I have numerous flower gardens and small vegtable garden, and, I don’t witness fluttering butterflies like you do! I am going to be more observant. Great photos as usual. Have a great weekend!
Oh yeah, and to Valley girl.. docking tails on draft horses is an old custom, for fear of long tails getting caught in farm machinery or interferring (sp)? with the lines while working. Its done surgically on young horses. Its under serious debate cause the horse has no defense against flies, etc. I agree, they are beautiful horses. And,We need an update on THANKFUL at the end of summer to see how she has grown and filled out!