Butterfly Cluster

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Butterfly Cluster

Butterfly Cluster

Every morning this spring there would be a group of these just outside my door. Sometimes over a hundred would be piled up on each other all trying to eat something there on the ground. I thought these looked cool.
EricCox
on Sep 29, 2008 10:33 pm
Image Type(s): Wildlife
Image ID: 447766

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Sarah Simon

Sarah Simon - Apr 10, 2011 12:39 pm - Voted 10/10

Butterfly "Puddling"

Eric,

I had always heard this behavior called "puddling." The butterflies seek moist soil, preferably from a recently dried puddle, where minerals are condensed because they cannot obtain these minerals from their standard (pollen) diet.

Great capture!

Sarah

EricCox

EricCox - Apr 20, 2011 12:17 am - Hasn't voted

Puddling

Thanks you Sarah for the information and the kind words.
As weird as it might seem, you are 100% correct. This spot is where someone used the bathroom. I was suprized to see them in this spot where I knew there was dried urine. I thought there might be something like that going on, but wasn't aware of what it was called.
Thanks again,
Eric

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