Monday, March 17, 2008

This Here Is A Blue Jay

I know it's not a bird and if you think that medication has addled my brain, it has not. This wafer thin creature is indeed a blue jay (Graphium evemon eventus) and not to be confused with the common bluebottle another butterfly and not the fly menace. I observed this butter puddling at damp spots. When a butterfly lands on the ground and sips water from a puddle, it is called puddling. At the muddy or sandy puddle (often located near animal dung), the butterfly sips water rich in mineral salts and other essential nutrients (mostly sodium chloride and nitrogen-rich solutions) that have leached from the surrounding soil and rocks. Male butterflies do more puddling than females. The dissolved salts and minerals may be used to make pheromones (that the male uses to attract females) and sperm. I watched this one expel unwanted water too in huge squirts - in one way, out the other.This gentleman finally opened its wings for me.

1 comment:

Elyani said...

Beautiful!! and thanks for the additional info.