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A sweaty hiker helps facilitate butterfly sex

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:04 am
by kennykb
Now that I've got your attention: I was hiking on Windham High Peak yesterday when a butterfly alighted on my arm and started licking my skin.

Image
Hoary Comma butterfly, Polygonia Gracilis by ke9tv, on Flickr

The explanation of that behaviour is fascinating (to me, at least). If I've captured your interest, head on over to the article on my blog to hear how it all relates to butterfly mating behaviour and alkali-metal ions.