DIPANJAN GHOSH AND SOUVICK MUKHERJEE RTICLE A A beautiful fl ock of EATURE butterfl ies puddling on the F side of a road at Baranti, Purulia in West Bengal (Photo: Asif Hossain) Mud puddling or puddling behaviour of butterfl ies and some other insects is a mode of gathering nutrients like salts and amino acids from the wet soil, sweat, urine, dung or carrion. This phenomenon is quite different from obtaining nutrients from nectar and pollen sources. FTEN a er rains, bu erfl ies gather Search for Nutrients Oaround the edges of mud puddles. In tropical India, the mud puddling What could they be doing? They are phenomenon is mostly seen when the sipping water from the puddles. monsoon is over. The groups generally The puddling activity or drinking include several bu erfl y species, at water sources is most prominent in particularly members of the families bu erfl ies and moths, but it occurs in Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Papilionidae other insects too, such as lea oppers, and Pieridae. However, members of the locusts and bees. Bu erfl ies are generally family Nymphalidae show the highest engaged in puddling at the day time diversity of nutrient gathering tactics whereas moths puddle at night. among the bu erfl ies. Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda) In many species puddling behaviour In moths, several members of sucking liquid from roof top is quite common in males and normally families like Drepanidae, Geometridae, (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) the young. They are o en seen to fl ock by Lyonetiidae, Noctuidae, and Tortricidae the hundreds forming a ‘mud-puddling show puddling activities. When puddling, Typical puddling takes place on wet cloud’. However, there are reports of these insects look for certain moist soil or on wet sand of river banks. But females puddling singly, and of a few substances such as soil, mud, sand, ro ing even fresh human urine may be used noctuid species in which only females plant ma er, excreta and carrion and suck by some bu erfl ies such as Common are found at puddling sites such as up the fl uid. From the fl uids they obtain Mormon (Papilio polytes) for puddling precipitation or wet sand. nutrients like salts and amino acids. purposes. 43 Science Reporter, NOVEMBER 2016 FEATURE ARTICLE Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe) extracting minerals from wet sand (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) A cluster of puddling butterfl ies on soil (Photo: Asif Hossain) Puddling behaviour of Common Yeoman Balkan Pierrot (Tarucus balkanicus) (Cirrochroa tyche) on dung (Photo: Anirban Patra) simply grazes its proboscis against the human skin in order to lap up sweat (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) Peacock Pansy (Junonia almanac) absorbing juices from Bush Brown (Mycalesis fl aked off sugarcane (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) perseus) butterfl y puddling on a rotting fruit (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) However, there are reports Many bu erfl ies are ‘sudophagous’ A large number of bu erfl ies and of females puddling singly, meaning sweat feeders. They suck moths favour the dung of animals (Figure and of a few noctuid species moisture from human skin, like 5) for puddling, such as Giant Saturn Confusing Ace (Halpe confusa). In addition (Zeuxidia aurelius) and some even extract in which only females are bu erfl ies love wet handkerchiefs, towels, minerals from bird dropping like Drury’s found at puddling sites such as sweaty socks and shoes, and absolutely Jewel (Cyclosia papilionaris). precipitation or wet sand. like the stuff that gets emi ed out of However, more unusual sources latrine. include blood and tears. The Vampire Science Reporter, NOVEMBER 2016 44 FEATURE ARTICLE Puddling may occur singly as this Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe) butterfl y (Photo: Souvick Mukherjee) The butterfl ies appear to be intoxicated whatever they have been puddling on and become oblivious to their surroundings. This makes them vulnerable to their predators or parasitic attacks. Moth (Calyptra thalictri) has got its name male. Moreover, carrion-feeders seem to is to access water supply, although many as it sucks blood from sleeping animals, represent a diff erent feeding group from puddling bu erfl ies and moths eject including humans. Mandrilenial Bu erfl y normal mud puddlers and fruit-feeders surplus water, confi rming that substances of Spain is reported to draw up nutrients on the basis of nutrient requirements. dissolved in water, rather than water itself from the open wound of animals. Carrion is an important food source for a are the principal resource accumulated Some bu erfl ies consume tears, wide variety of species, such as Common through puddling. but not directly from the eye. They are Imperial (Cheritra freja), Twany Rajah The second purpose of puddling called tear drinking lachryphagous (Charaxes bernardus) and many more. behaviour is to achieve a reduction of bu erfl ies. For instance, Julia Bu erfl y body temperature. In fact, puddling has (Dryas iulia) of Brazil is famous for Duration and Outcome commonly been observed in tropical dry drinking turtle and crocodile tears. Those A bu erfl y can puddle for from anything habitats and usually in the hot summer bu erfl ies that consume tears directly within a few seconds to an hour or more, season. However, very few females from the eye are called eye-frequenting depending on a variety of factors. During visit puddles, in spite of high ambient lachryphagous bu erfl ies. Madagascar the puddling process, bu erfl ies suck temperature, and extremely male-biased Moth (Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica) of the nutrient rich fl uids through their sex ratios have been described in reports Madagascar has been noted to visit and proboscis. In extreme cases a bu erfl y on puddling activity. suck tears by inserting their harpoon- may imbibe an amount of fl uid 600 times The third putative goal of puddling is like proboscis into the closed eyelids of its own weight in a single puddling the intake of certain substances dissolved roosting birds. session, leaving the excess water as it in the water. From this observation, Bu erfl y puddling on ro ing fruits is drinks and retaining only the needed puddling is o en viewed as diff erential of very common occurrence along forest minerals. Interestingly, in Small Pebble foraging that either supplies ionic or trails. Many adult tropical bu erfl ies, (Gluphisia septentrionis), anal exudation nutrient resources needed by bu erfl ies for example, Great Marquis (Bassarona occurs just as forced anal jets at three and moths. dunya) regularly visit fermented fruits second intervals. Studies have demonstrated that such as apple, banana, litchi, guava, Some species of bu erfl ies appear to searching for sodium is the prime reason mango, and so on, mainly for nutritional be in drunken daze, and especially those for mud puddling in bu erfl ies and moths. benefi ts. that have been puddling for a long time. Due to the low sodium content in the land Some are a racted to freshly cut The bu erfl ies appear to be intoxicated plants, many bu erfl ies are expected to or chipped off fruits or juicy plant parts whatever they have been puddling on and crave sodium. The bu erfl ies and moths other than fruits, though this behaviour become oblivious to their surroundings. assemble sodium to compensate for is mainly opportunistic as stated by some This makes them vulnerable to their defi ciency of mineral stocks during their experts. predators or parasitic a acks. larval phase. In addition, many bu erfl ies forage In many bu erfl ies, the collected on carrion or dead and putrefying fl esh Puddling Benefi ts nutrients are o en transferred to the of animals. Carrion is usually more Why do bu erfl ies puddle? Puddling female with the spermatophore during deliberately utilized than other moist behaviour has probably evolved from any mating as a nuptial gi . These gi s may substances. There are reports that carrion- one of the three objectives as proposed by consist of minerals like sodium or calcium feeders appear to be almost exclusively a large number of researchers. The fi rst phosphate, some toxic secondary plant 45 Science Reporter, NOVEMBER 2016 FEATURE ARTICLE metabolites or nutrients such as amino provide explicit examples of evolutionary Large number of butterfl ies in groups acids. adaptation as they use alternative mode congregate at puddles at Buxa Tiger Reserve, Alipurduar in West Bengal (Photo: Anirban Patra) Sodium is assimilated into both the of nutrient acquisition. eggs and the body of the mated females. Puddling, however, is not simply An interesting fact is that, species a means of sodium acquisition, but can nutritionally important to bu erfl ies. whose females mate only once, with one further lead to uptake of other minerals Modern researches have revealed that infusion of sodium, may reduce their as well as nitrogenous nutrients and the carrion feeding may provide nutrients sodium reserves as they grow old and nutritional needs may vary among taxa. needed to maintain high metabolic rates turn to puddling to replenish sodium. Naturalists have long been fascinated by during rapid fl ight in case of certain Nevertheless, if females mate multiple the sight of certain tropical bu erfl ies neotropical bu erfl ies of the family times throughout their lives, they may aggregated o en on the calcium and Riodinidae. receive multiple inputs of sodium, and magnesium rich soil or on river beds Besides, the tissues of ro ing never need to puddle. This suggests one strewn with limestone. This is due to fruits release sugars and other organic reason why generally females do not the fact that bu erfl ies have need for compounds such as alcohols that result puddle. salts like magnesium chloride, calcium from the metabolic processes of decaying Moreover, the sodium ions in chloride and sodium chloride also.