What Do Butterflies Eat?

You often will see butterflies dancing in the wind, frolicking in the sunshine, and spending all their energy on adding beauty to our environment. But what do butterflies eat? What keeps them going on such a happy, natural high? You often see them stop for a minute or so, but they don’t exactly pull out a lunchbox and offer to share a Twinkie with you, so what exactly is butterfly food?

Although butterfly food can be obtained from a few different sources, butterflies will feed mostly on nectar from flowers through their Proboscis. This looks like a long tube that serves as sucking device similar to how we would use a straw. In fact, they are often sipping small amounts of water through their Proboscis from damp patches in the ground.

You may also find butterflies finding nourishment in areas that don’t seem to fit their beauty and seem disgusting to us, such as rotting fruit and dung. Pollen and tree sap, among other substances that maybe have dissolved in water or dirt is also on the menu for butterfly food.

If you ever are chasing a butterfly and are hoping that it lands on you, be sure to go for a long job,or hit the gym prior to the butterfly chase. Why? Sodium is one of the key ingredients for reproduction and butterflies will sometimes be attracted to your salty body after a good cardio sprint. You may not have ever thought of yourself as butterfly food, but wouldn’t it be great to get the photo of those wings on your shoulder!?