Subject: Giant Swallowtail Puddling
Geographic location of the bug: Hialeah Florida
Date: 03/15/2019
Time: 12:05 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I was cleaning out algae-muck from my pool on March 3 and this Giant Swallowtail spent a long time drinking the dampness from it, so I was able to get a few really nice photos of it that I thought you might like.
I don’t see them very often, but twice I found them puddling when I’d done yard work and left water on cement/tile. I’m guessing that being so large, they need more moisture than the average butterfly, and so sometimes nectar just isn’t enough.
How you want your letter signed: Marian
Dear Marian,
Your images of a puddling Giant Swallowtail are beautiful. It is our understanding that butterflies newly emerged from the Chrysalis drink from puddles to get important minerals as well as moisture. The Swallowtails, the Blues and the Sulphur Butterflies are among the most frequent puddlers. It is also our understanding that males are more frequently found at puddles than are female butterflies.
