The truth is so simple that everyone knows, but in reality, many butterflies not only suck nectar but also eat dead bodies, mud or animal waste. Sometimes human sweat and tears of turtles and crocodiles are also the favorite food of butterflies. They suck the liquid inside those things because it contains sodium which increases the fertility of butterflies.

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So, if a butterfly lands on you, don’t think that you smell so good that it attracts the attention of butterflies. And don’t be surprised to see a swarm of butterflies flocking to a dead animal or even a dunghill.

Small yellow butterflies eat elephant dung in Tsavo West National Park in Kenya.

A butterfly cannot live on nectar, it also needs minerals. So butterflies often “sniff” in muddy puddles rich in minerals and salts. This behavior, known as “puddling,” is especially common in male butterflies. Their bodies synthesize minerals into sperm. These nutrients  are then transferred to the female butterfly during mating, and help the egg’s viability to last longer.

Butterflies also have venom?

Like many other species living on Earth, butterflies also have a dark side in life, and they have lived a hidden life that people are barely aware of. The first thing that can be mentioned is the color of the butterflies. Good looks can actually be a warning.

An example is the long-winged striped butterfly Heliconius charithonia. At a glance, this species is as “innocent” as many other butterflies, but they are famously poisonous. Even at the stage of caterpillars, they also have a habit of “eating” their brothers, leading to a brotherhood of a mutual family.

Heliconius charithonia long-winged butterfly.

And yet, butterflies also have a cruel behavior that scientists often call the term “pupation rape”.

When a female is about to emerge from her pupa to become a butterfly and fly, a group of males surround the female, jostling and flapping their wings like rivals to win a mate. The winner of this brawl gets to mate with the female. But the males are often so eager that the female can’t get out before they use the “weapon” to tear off the pupa to mate.

Since the female is trapped in the pupa and has no other choice, the term “puppy rape” arose. Some biologists call it “forced intercourse”.

Maculina rebeli species.

In terms of cunning and cunning, perhaps the butterfly family members are calling the species Maculinea rebeli. The caterpillars Maculinea rebeli even tricked the ants to be served as a king and queen. Caterpillars can make sounds that mimic the queen ant and cause the entire colony to trick and serve it. Cook ants bring water to them, nurse ants sometimes have to sacrifice ants to feed them when food is scarce.