A butterfly eats by extending its tongue like structure, called a proboscis, and using it like a straw to suck up liquid food such as nectar. It drinks water the same way. In the second photo, it would appear that the pollen covered proboscis might be headed toward the butterfly’s mouth to be consumed. I even assumed that to be the case. However, when I did some research, I discovered that what is on the outside of the proboscis is immaterial. The butterfly in the second photo is actually finished sucking up the nectar of that particular flower, and is, in fact, coiling its “tongue” back up into the resting position.
Posted for Dutch Goes the Photo!’s Tuesday Photo Challenge: Focus.
Zebra's Child 
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS HANNAH, THAT IS SOME CAMERA, CHINA
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
Awesome photos!
Thanks 🙏 V.J. 😊
Welcome!
Fantastic photos Hannah. Thanks for the information too 😀
Thank you, Su. 😀
[…] has stunning photos in her post in Zebra’s Child, in which we get to watch a butterfly eat! In a second post in Zebra’s Child, she asks us the […]