How Do Butterflies Eat?

We hope you and your family are safe and healthy at home, but we know how difficult it is to be away from school, friends, and activities. That’s why we’re happy to provide you with this new email series, dedicated to a day’s worth of nature and science facts, activities, guiding questions to ask your kids, and more. Let’s kick off our first day of wonder together!

Have you ever wondered how butterflies eat? Check out our newest video that breaks it all down for audiences of all ages to understand. Watch it on our Facebook page or check out our YouTube channel.

Guiding Question: Can you think of another animal that has a proboscis?

Can you eat like a butterfly?

A butterfly’s proboscis is a lot like a straw! Help your kids understand how butterflies eat by trying out this fun butterfly eating game. You’ll just need some straws, some juice, and some cups! Click here for details.

Guiding Question: How do animals’ mouths reflect what they can or cannot eat? Can a butterfly eat the same foods that you can? Can a bird?

Butterflies drink more than nectar!

We’re used to seeing butterflies perched on flowers, but they can also find nourishment in some unusual places. In the summer, you might see butterflies gathered around mud puddles. By drinking that moisture, they’re taking in salts and minerals.

Guiding Question: Have you seen a butterfly drinking from something other than a flower? Why do you think it was doing that?

What plants do butterflies like?

Believe it or not, spring is just around the corner. With spring comes butterflies, bees, and other amazing pollinators! A whopping 75% of all the food we eat benefits from pollination, so it’s important to give our pollinators great food sources. Click here to check out our guide to native plants that work well in the Chicagoland area.

Guiding Question: Can you think of a plant that butterflies are attracted to? Why do you think they’re attracted to it? Why might they not be attracted to another type of plant?

Behind the scenes!

Our volunteers and staff are still hard at work behind the scenes at the Nature Museum. Even though we’re closed to the public at the moment, we’re still taking care of our butterflies, turtles, and the rest of our living collections. We highlighted volunteer Sarah Beckett’s quiet Judy Istock Butterfly Haven moment over on our Instagram.