Butterflies and flowers

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Sat May 19, 2007 7:33 pm

I have noticed a few things with butterflies and the types of flowers they visit for nectaring.

I first noticed this with Orange-Tip that they only seemed to visit cuckoo flower and Tufted Vetch flowers, (Both Purpleish in colour). I then noticed that the GV White I saw only visited the Herb Robert and did not feed of the buttercups that where everywhere.

Why is it that butterflies more so, visit, purple or purple-pink or purple-blue or dark blueish flowers? Is this so, or just some species do it?

I don't know about moths, but I have seen the hummingbird hawkmoth very attracted to the red/pinkish flowers of red valerian that grows where I live, but I don't think its just attracted to red flowers as it nectars of honeysuckle too.

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Sat May 19, 2007 7:39 pm

One factor is the length of their proboscis, and whether the species is physically able to reach the nectar!

Cheers,

- Pete

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Sat May 19, 2007 7:44 pm

I have found out something intresting about hawkmoths. On a flower, they will never visit the same part of the flower. As they take necar from it, they wil go to the next part of the flower and not go back.

For example, on valerian, a hawkmoth would visit one of the tiny flowers and go onto next one and not return to previous one or ones visited at that time until next visit.

Post by **Padfield** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:07 pm

I read a long time ago that violet/pink was the optimum colour for attracting butterflies but I can't remember any of the details now - I must be getting old.

Many butterflies are especially attracted to flowers of the larval foodplant and will use it in preference to other sources of nectar. Blues, in particular, do this, and the habit can be very useful to the lepidopterist! I have always assumed the reason was to maximise the chances of males and females meeting - they like to drink in the same bars, as it were (and then lay the eggs in the same place too). I have no evidence to back that up.

Guy

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:48 pm

I noticed that Orange-Tips stay around their foodplant (Cuckoo Flower) and nectar of it in spring (can't say if summer they do this).

I wen't out and smelled some herb robert and it has a sweet smell, maybe that has something to do with it?

Also proves my point about purpleish flowers with plants like thistles and knapweed. The best sight is seeing a butterfly nectaring on thistle. I saw my first clouded yellow on thistle last year and saw lots of silver Y moths on thistles too.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Sat May 19, 2007 11:32 pm

Orange-tips will often roost on their foodplants, and the camouflage on the underwing does much to conceal them.

55bloke · Post by **55bloke** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:51 pm

Isn't this something to do with the fact they see best at the purple, blue and ultra-violet end of the spectrum? Many insect pollinated flowers, viewed in ultra violet light, have markimgs invisible in natural light, to make them more attractive to butterflies etc.

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:34 pm

Hello,

First ones that come to mind (excluding food plants):

Small Coppers visiting Fleabane
Late Meadow Browns visiting Carline Thistle
Marbled Whites visiting Greater Knapweed
Small Blues visiting Horseshoe Vetch

less so

Grizzled Skippers visiting Milkwort and Violets
Small Skipper visting Kidney Vetch
Common Blues visiting Ragwort & Red Bartsia
Orange Tip visiting Cow Parsley

I have some more but most butterflies visit a variety of available plants.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2007.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2006.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html