Behaviors to Watch For

Mudpuddling A behavior to watch for that happens in the afternoon on a warm day is mudpuddling. Butterflies group together at a puddle to drink, they need the salts, minerals and nutrients from the mud to breed successfully. More males than females puddle. Basking Butterflies are cold-blooded and they use the sun to warm their bodies. This is called Basking. Some Butterflies Bask by spreading their wings, And others like the sulfurs Bask by sitting with their wings folded Patrolling and Perching Patrolling and perching is another behavior to look for. The Males depending on the species will either patrol an area in search of a mate, or sit in a tree or a fence, waiting for a female to pass by. If he spots another Male in his territory he will give chase Egg Laying If you see a butterfly touch down briefly on. Several plants then leave you are watching a female searching for a host plant to lay her eggs. Females are very picky when it comes to laying eggs; it must be a plant that the Larva will eat. Some Larva like the monarch Buttery will only eat milkweed. Flight Patterns Butterflies show striking variations in flight patterns. skippers quickly dart from place to place, swallowtails flutter,and monarchs glide along,with out a care in the world. Each species has a characteristic flight pattern and,like birds,can be as easily recognized by this behavior as by it color or size. Where Do You Want To Go!! IndexBehaviorsTipsButterfly TriviaA butterfly Storycaterpillar life cycleButterfly Photo Galleryplants to attract ButterfliesHost Plants for larvaButterfly PuzzleSee Floating ButterfliesButterfly Light DisplayPicture CubeBannerButterfly Lake AppletsPlay With ButterfliesSee a Butterfly Change ColorHomeAwesome Links to Butterfly SitesVisit a Gardening WebsiteVisit a Hummingbird WebsiteButterfly Articles