While returning home from a day of fishing yesterday I captured a bunch of butterflies snacking on some kind of animal dung.
I did not know that butterfies liked to eat this.
I am not sure what kind of dung it was.
The fishing area is unpopulated and remote so any animals in there would be wild or ferral. Maybe a cat of some kind or a raccoon as there is lots of hair in it. I just thought it was interesting.
Anyone else ever encounter anything like this?
Closeup of the snack.
Yep, butterflies like poo and they like urine too. They need the minerals and nutrients from it. Some butterflies actually prefer rotting fruit and manure to flower nectar!
Calalily is correct. While we don't spread poo out for the butterflies, we do rot bananas and put that out as an attractant. And when we do, we are greatly entertained by the butterfly aggression that occurs, because they fight over that stinky, nasty, rotten fruit and will chase each other all over the yard defending it! We have been fortunate enough to attract numerous beautiful mourning cloak butterflies to the rotten banana. My husband took some pictures earlier this spring when we first put the rotten fruit out this year. I'll get him to find them and will post them for you.
Hill, I would love to see the pictures. I will have to put out some bananas.
Calalily, Thanks for the info, I learn something every day from all you knowledgable people here at Dave's Garden
Yvonne
Hill, How old are the bananas? I tried a butterfly puddle with fish emulsion and soon I couldn't go in the back yard every time I passed by the puddle. Do rotten bananas smell like this? Do you use them just after they turn black or later or earlier? Do you just put them on a small dish or what?
Please send the photos. They sound motivating...LOL
Thanks,
Chuck
My apologies for taking so long, but my husband is the techno whiz in the family AND the entomologist, so all things revolve around his schedule. He just got back from a trip and is about to take off on another one, so I jumped at the opportunity to hit him up for the pics and the protocol he uses to prepare the bananas.
He says that you can use any bananas of any age. The trick is to freeze them first, because the butterflies cannot feed on them unless the banana flesh is liquified and freezing shatters the cells so it will turn to goo quickly once thawed. Once the bananas are frozen solid, remove them from the freezer and while still frozen make a slice through the skin about four inches long to expose the flesh. The bananas are then placed on a cheapo paper plate to thaw. They can be put outside at this time remaining on the plate, but realize that they won't attract any butterflies until they are completely thawed, brown, nasty and stinky with liquified flesh--usually takes a few hours. Even sooner if you place them in the sun. We usually keep them in the shade as they will last longer before you have to replace the banana.
We have never added anything to the banana, although I have heard of special recipes that people can prepare as an attractant with the banana, just so long as the banana is liquified. And, yes, just the simple, plain old rotten banana, once thawed, is stinky like any rotten fruit will smell, but it is limited to a small area and is bearable enough to stand to get near it to take pics of what is feeding on it. One banana on a plate at a time is plenty and will attract for at least a week before requiring replacement.
My husband says that this method mostly attracts the brush-footed butterflies in the daytime, the Nymphalidae. We have seen Mourning Cloaks, Emperors, Hackberrys, Red Admirals, and Painted Ladies in the daytime. A favorite that my husband loves to watch for is the California Sister. Are you familiar with that one, Chuck? :-)
Be aware that this will also attract many different kinds of interesting flies and bees. The butterflies are fun to watch defending the banana and will flick all the smaller insects away with their wings, or chase the larger ones all over the yard. At night, the banana will be covered in moths. Pretty cool looking when checked out with a flashlight after dark. Sometimes you can't even see the banana or the plate there are so many!
I'd like to know how this works for those that wish to try it and please post some pics of what comes to feed in your area! Following is a pic hubbie took of a Red Admiral and a Mourning Cloak on a banana earlier this year.
Happy butterflying,
Kenya
Here's an additional pic of another Mourning Cloak, defending his/her banana.
Edited to add that if you look closely at the top middle and slightly to the top right of the pic you can make out two Drosophila fruit flies that he/she has flicked from his/her banana!
This message was edited May 24, 2006 8:58 PM
Thank for the info Kenya. I will try it. Hope to get some results and pictures. That butterfly is beautiful. I don't think we have those around here, but I guess I will find out. YVonne
Hey Yvonne, you are most welcome! You should see some Mourning Cloaks in your area. Here is a link about them and their range:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/usa/181.htm
Kenya
Dear Kenya,
Thanks for the beautiful photos. I will try the bananas tomorrow. I have never heard of California Sister Butterflies, however, I just purchased my book, Butterflies through Binoculars (The West) by Jeffrey Glassberg. I will check that book later.
If anyone needs the ISBN No. let me know. It has helped me so much so far.
If anyone has a favorite reference book for butterflies in the West and specifically California, please let me know.
Thanks a lot,
Chuck
Hi Chuck, you're very welcome. Glad you liked the photos. Yes, please do try the bananas today and get some pics of what visits in the upcoming days.
The Califonia Sister is a beautiful butterfly, not commonly seen in our area here in Central Texas, but there are years when the conditions are right that they do appear. I remember the first time my husband saw one in our area many years ago. He was so comical to watch in his excitement! He just couldn't believe that the butterfly had come that far north in Texas and east in the US at the time as we live in what is considered the extreme periphery of it's range. Fortunately, we have sighted them on several occasions here since then and hubby has been placated. I love the underside of this butterfly moreso than the top.
Links to pics and info of the CA Sister:
http://www.laspilitas.com/butterflies/Butterflies_and_Moths/California_sister/California_sister.html
http://www.butterflywings.com/s-casister.html
Good image of the underside of the wings that I am fond of:
http://butterflywebsite.com/images/buttrfly/Corel/but024.gif
Enjoy,
Kenya
Just a thought, I wonder what would happen if you put the thawed bananas is a blender?
Gonna try that too.
My thought is that it is not necessary, we just never have. Let us know what happens!
'Howdy, All ..
Geesh .. I'm sure glad I duck'd in, to see what all the 'hoopla' was about!! (hee)
.. hill5422/Kenya ..
The ol coots' momma used to do that all the time ~ but, unintentionally.
(With a wee bit of envy of her frugality) She'd freeze some bananas for 'keeping', for use to make some (people consumption) recipes, later. I remember her telling me once, about taking a few too many out to thaw .. and had to be thrown out. She'd pitch such, along with egg shells, apple peelings, etc. .. into the edge of their lil garden bed. The butterflies would flock to the 'nanners' that were thrown out, along with a whole batch of other 'bugs' that would visit. She said she didn't care much, for the stench it created - but the garden & the bugs sure loved it. (lol)
Never occured to me, then .. that such, would be beneficial ~ let alone, in many more ways than one! 'Gardening' and 'attracting' bugs wasn't anywhere near any items that I'd be adding to my list of 'importants' at the time ...
Appreciate your posts with the wealth of info, and for the reawakening of a memory .. . Thank you, and your hubby!
Also .. a big ol 'hearty' welcome to DG .. to ya, Kenya!!
- Magpye
Thanks for the welcome, Magpye. Yep, my husband and I are newbies to DG and are loving it here!
That is a great story. Happy to prompt your memory and share our info with everyone. We are gleaning much new info for ourselves and fully intend to continue to share infomation here that we have learned over the years also. Hubby is the entomologist though. The vast majority of my info is second hand from him and I am very appreciative of that. I have to double check with him for accuracy prior to posting though!
Note to Yvonne and Chuck:
The stench that Magpye mentioned most likely is due to the addition of the extras that her, and I quote, "old coot's momma" threw out in addition to the bananas, i.e. the eggs and the like. Just the rotten banana(s) will smell too, but I promise it is bearable and limited to the area in, near and around the banana. Your entire backyard will not, er..should not reek, due simply to the rotten banana.
* Thanks, once more Kenya .. for clearing the air .. for all of us!! .. LOL
- Magpye
I put out blood meal to keep the bunnies away from baby hostas and butterflies and the dog were very attracted to it.
Brenda
I made the banana mix that uses beer and brown sugar, had it "brewing" in a plastic coffee can. I poured some on a piece of wood for the butterflies and forgot to put the can back in the garage away from wild animals. The raccoons found it that night and ate every last drop, even licked the coffee can clean. Can we say "drunk raccoons?" It was hilarious!!
BTW, the butterflies liked it too!
Calalily, that is so funny.
Dear Kenya,
Thanks for all the info, especially of the California Sister butterflies. They are beautiful but I don't think I will see them. As far as I know, there is not an oak tree in the near area, let alone one that the California Sisters would use. I still haven't had a chance to try the bananas but if it was approved by you, your husband and Magpye, I will definitely try it.
Thanks again,
Chuck
