Puddlin' About

The surprising reason butterflies flutter so quickly to a bit of standing water.

- JILL STAAKE

Most of us are used to seeing backyard butterflies flutter and dip between blooms in bright sunny gardens, dining on the sweet nectar that gives them the energy they need to survive. Occasionally, though, you’ll find butterflies in totally unexpected places, like mud puddles or the sandy banks of a river—sometimes gathering in extremely large groups.

It may seem curious, but the butterflies are engaged in an activity known as puddling. A closer look will reveal they are likely males.

“Male butterflies, just like any living creature, are trying to ensure they reproduce,” explains Ryan Fessenden of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Rainforest. “One of the ways they do that is by passing on nutrients, along with genetic material, to the females when they are mating.”

When butterflies mate, males transfer a spermatophore to the females. Think of this as a tiny package that holds just about everything a female needs to produce healthy fertilized eggs. These spermatophores can be