This is a red colored heliconius hecale butterfly drinking from a flower. Instead of eating, butterflies get their nurishment from drinking. They have a long narrow tube in their mouth called a proboscis that acts as a straw. They usually set on top of a flower and drink the nectar, but it can basically be anything that dissolves in water like tree sap, dung, pollen or rotten fruit. They are attracted to sodium found in salt and sweat. This is why they sometimes even land on people in Butterfly Parks. Sodium as well as many other minerals is vital for the butterflies reproduction.
Welcome! I am a Dutch photographer who just loves to go out and capture the beautiful world around us. Most of my photos are landscapes, animals and flowers. I started doing photography in 2015. Since then my perception has changed, I started seeing different things, started seeing.. Read more…