April 10, 2019

Nectar Time

Monarchs have such character and beauty. As I watch, I wonder about their ability to hang from the tiniest purple flower and sip nectar with their proboscis (or tongue) which extends into the flower and pulls out this delectable yellow sticky nectar.

I have become so filled with questions about these insects that I’ve decided to take a Butterfly Class. I will begin to share some information I have learned here on my blog. I’m not an expert yet but my passion is coming out!

I made a special trip to buy nectar plants to plant in my butterfly garden. As soon as I brought these long stemmed red pentas to my butterfly garden, the monarchs came, instantly landed and began sipping nectar.

Makes me wonder about their sensory abilities, I learned that their tarsi (or feet) give butterflies the ability to taste 200 times stronger sensation than humans.

And their tarsi have chemical receptors that allow the butterfly to feel the plant, leaf, or flower they land on before feeding or laying eggs!