In the forests of Indonesia, citizen scientists discover an unsettling revelation about butterflies.
An Idea blanchardii, or Blanchard’s Ghost, butterfly photographed in North Sulawesi in Indonesia. This species was among those citizen scientist found attacking and feeding on caterpillars. When a group of friends met up in the tropical forests of Indonesia, they were expecting to take in the verdant surroundings and hopefully nab a few photos of the colorful butterflies that congregate in the area.
Milkweed butterflies, a family that includes the iconic monarch, are known to scratch at and drink from plants that contain chemical compounds necessary for their survival. But butterflies feeding on living creatures, not to mention caterpillars from closely-related species, was something surprising.When Tea and his friends returned home, they took a closer look at the rest of their photos.
“This is why milkweed butterflies are so colourful, yet fly in such a nonchalant devil-may-care manner,” Tea says. “They rely on these toxins for protection, and advertise them with their warning colors.” Danaus ismare alba, Euploea algea kirbyi and Ideopsis juventa tontoliensis butterflies feeding on a dead Idea blanchadrii caterpillar. from the citizen science project iNaturalist, Tea and his colleagues even found a recording of an adult butterfly attacking another adult, slashing at and drinking from its wings.
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