Beautiful Video Of Butterflies' "Mud Puddling" Amazes Internet

Butterflies are enchanting creatures, known for their striking colours and delicate wings. They are part of the insect order Lepidoptera and are characterised by their graceful flight and intricate patterns on their wings. They have many sub-species, like Monarchs and Swallowtails. Butterflies are not only a marvel of nature but also play a crucial role in pollination, making them important contributors to the ecosystem. But they also exhibit a unique behaviour, as detailed by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan.

The officer posted a video on Twitter that shows a big group of butterflies gathered around a water body. While most of them are sitting on the land, some are trying to find a place, as if looking to extract something from the ground.

Mr Kaswan said this is "called as mud puddling. Where butterflies gather to collect salts." He said the video was shot during a random visit.

Called as mud puddling. Where butterflies gather to collect salts. From a random visit. pic.twitter.com/bsJH1VjZNg

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 11, 2023

In a subsequent tweet, the IFS officer said, "Done mostly by males. They collect salts and pheromones to attract the females. They collect them from small pool of water, dung, mud etc."

The tweet has amassed nearly 1 lakh views and over 1,800 likes. Some Twitter users were stunned after seeing the video, while others posted similar clips of the behaviour.

"You always amaze! Wow! Never heard this before!" commented one user. "Sometimes I wonder how did mother earth create such simple yet beautiful parts of the nature," said another.

"I can sit here and watch them for hours. I seriously don't understand how people can't see beauty in nature," a third user commented.

These creatures undergo a remarkable metamorphosis, transitioning from a crawling caterpillar to a breathtaking butterfly, symbolising their vital contribution to the ecosystem. They are cherished by people around the world.