We recently spotted a group of meadow fritillaries (Boloria bellona)“puddling” in the habitat. Butterflies land on wet sand, mud, or damp gravel to drink mineral-rich water. They do this to collect important nutrients like salts, sodium, and amino acids that are missing from their normal flower nectar diet (sugar can only take you so far!). The extras help power their muscles and active flight during warm summer days, and keep them cool and hydrated. Most butterflies that puddle are males, who store the extra goodies to pass to females during mating as a “nuptial gift”, which helps her eggs survive. While puddling, they’re entirely focused on the business at hand, so you might be able to get quite close to observe this fascinating behavior.
