Puddling

Puddling is the term given to the aggregation of some insects on wet soil or dung to obtain moisture and nutrients. Puddling is most commonly seen in butterflies with large numbers of individual insects gathering at the edge of puddles, on wet soil, on dung or on carrion. The insects use their proboscis to obtain moisture and also other nutrients and salts.

Although puddling is most commonly observed in butterflies other insects, such as leafhoppers and locusts, also exhibit puddling behaviour.

A photograph of butterflies puddling.
Photograph by J.M.Garg licensed under Creative Commons.

Other names for (or types of) Puddling include:

• Mud-puddling

Related terms

• Lepidoptera
• Proboscis

Related groups of terms

• General biology

Related pages on this web site

• Butterflies and Moths - Order Lepidoptera

See other words beginning with P