Foraging behavior 2

Alexandra Sourakov observed this Blue Morpho butterfly species found in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Rainforest on the University of Florida campus and determined it was most attracted to fermented bananas as bait, rather than mango, honey and green and ripe bananas. Following the behavioral experiment, Sourakov tested the butterfly’s reaction to volatile chemicals in fermented banana and the results, published online April in Psyche, showed its labial palpi reacted to a different range of chemicals than its antennae, proboscis and legs. (July 21, 2011)

(Photo by Andrei Sourakov)
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