During a little snack break on our hike up the Horsetail Falls in Desolation Wilderness, a butterfly apparently really liked me. At first it landed and stayed on my t-shirt sleeve, but after a quick flight around, it chose to land (and stay) on my hand.
At first it was just hanging out, opening and closing its wings.
But then, it deployed its long tongue…
… and started to lick me!
I could feel the moisture and cold of the tongue poking at my pores.
It was tickling me.
I don’t know if I tasted sweet or salty or sun-tan lotiony, but it liked me. A lot!
After a good 5-10 minutes just sucking up my juices, my hand got tired and I tried to shoo it away (gently), but it was hanging on… a few seconds later it flew at its own will… Goodbye my ephemorous friend. I hope I fed you well!
That is very neat. I didn’t know butterflies have tongues. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see the pictures!
It’s called a proboscus, not a tongue. He was drinking your sweat to obtain minerals and salts. Scientists believe this it to make them more fertile. This is the same behavior as “puddling”, which is when butterflies gather and drink from the wet sand or soil. It is generally males that do this, although I have seen females in a puddle party. Chances are your T-shirt was white. I have had the exact same thing happened half a dozen times.
I’m no expert on California butterflies but it looks like an Edith’s Checkerspot to me.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1752&chosen_state=06*California
The only other one that was close was the Anicia Checkerspot, but the coloring is lighter.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=5092&chosen_state=06*California
Edith’s Checkerspot appears to be more common, as well.
my encounter happened in British Columbia. Canada, that is, and the butterfly looked a lot like the one in the pictures you provide. i was in Burns Lake, the middle of BC, around the end of summer. i was trying to be patient, but not doing a very good job of it, and along came this butterfly. i watched, trying not to move as my new friend walked amongst the wrinkles on the back of my hand. Eventually i moved my hand up to get a better look, i saw what you’ve shown in your pictures and i could feel, ever so lightly, the lick of the probiscis. A little surreal but wonderfully real. Licked by a Butterfly.