Northern Pearlyeye likes Omelets!!!

Butterfly eating omelet juice
My husband and I were eating our omelet on the deck in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. I saw a butterfly on the side of the house, and when my husband went in for coffee, it landed on his plate and sucked up the juices for about 20 minutes (I scared it when I moved too close.) I couldn’t locate it in my books, but went to your site on 8/5 and saw a recently posted Northern Pearly-eye. So now I can ID it, but I thought it was unusual behavior. Nothing on any website said it liked omelet juice (must be my husband’s delicious cooking!) There was no fruit on the plate, and the omelet consisted of eggs, mushrooms, tomato, pepper, ham and cheese. Pieces of the omelet are on the plate, behind the butterfly.
Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for sending this interesting documentation. Satyrs, of which the Northern Pearlyeye is one, often take sustenance from tree sap and rotting fruit. There are certain newly emerged butterflies that puddle around moist areas to drink up critical salts and minerals. That was undoubtedly a nourishing meal. Your photo really appeals to our somewhat questionable aesthetic, and we are thrilled you resent a larger file so we could post it.