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What is Puddling?

Red admiral butterfly puddling on muddy soil between rocks
Red admiral butterfly puddling on muddy soil between rocks

Have you ever seen a group of butterflies gathering around a patch of mud on the ground? This is called puddling. Puddling is a behavior when butterflies gather around damp areas, such as a patch of mud, carrion, dung, or other places to get nutrients.

Why do butterflies puddle?

Through puddling, butterflies can get nutrients from damp materials. They drink the fluid to obtain the nutrients. Puddling can occur on mud, decaying plant matter, dung, and even decaying animal remains. When multiple butterflies puddle in the same spot, this is called a congregation.

Two female tiger swallowtail butterflies and a tiny blue butterfly puddling at the edge of a river on the rocky bank
Two female eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies and a tiny blue butterfly puddling at the edge of a river on the rocky bank

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