Butterfly questions - just curious

I have clumps of wild marjoram dotted about. They are heaving with butterflies - mostly gatekeepers and little brown jobs.
How do they find the marjoram and why are there so many?
Do they 'message' each other?

 

That's an interesting question! As they are mostly solitary, how would they inform the others? It's not like they have lots of sisters like bees that waggle dance to say where.

 

I know it sounds like it should be more complicated or a sort of super power like we find in the animal Kingdom but the real answer is they can see the plants and distinguish what they are after by its characteristics. They also have a sense of smell, which is different to our own, as they use their antennas and taste with their feet, for comformation.

 

Butterflies can see ultraviolet light, and flowers look different to them than they do to us. Some flowers have evolved to display ultra-violet patterns that lead the butterfly in, rather like an airport landing strip.
And most of their taste buds are on their feet! This helps them quickly find the right food plant to lay their eggs.

 

Is it likely that there were eggs near or on the marjoram?

 

Like the analogy with aircraft. So its 'Stack over Mayfield, north to Hollybush, visual descent to threshold,Marjoram taxiway 6 when landed'

 

I think it depends on the species as to how far the butterfly will travel for food. Marjoram is a favourite with quite a few butterflies and they are probably attracted from a reasonable distance, it's just so attractive that they all flock to it. Gatekeepers and meadow browns, which I see on our marjoram, naturally host on plants that are found around marjoram, ie in a meadow.

 

Hi

I am surprised with the amount of nettles that grow everywhere we should have more tortiseshell, peacock,red admiral and coma.

where I used to keep my bees two huge patches of nettles both the same amount of sunshine and one patch was eaten alive and the other tottaly left alone

 

I have nettles and other big weeds nearby, but rarely see peacocks and admirals. However I saw an elephant hawk moth last week (in daylight which is odd) and I have seen their caterpillars around in previous years. I'm always amazed by their size!

 

I wish my taste buds were on my feet - it would be so much easier to diet!

 

You might actually find that socks are delicious.

 

funny that these little creatures have better senses than we do. marjoram is all over the place here wild, you can see it from a distance but its easy to confuse with all the other purple "me me me!" signs plants give off. Even the yarrow is turning purple in places.

each countries flowers will be coloured by the wildlifes senses. In england mostly purple for our insects visions, in america red flowers are common for hummingbirds.


I suspect many fragrances first evolved to mimic rotting meat, feces and other highly nutrient dense stuff as many insects liked nibling on those. butterflies and bees often do for the salts, even sweat and tears. our brains then have to convince us certain combinstions of smells are pleasant rather than horrible so too for plant defence mechanisms, herbs, caffiene, all yummy to our mammal brains despite evolving as warnings or poisons.

this may be why so many people find sweat, sometimes a pleasant smell, and at other times horrid. especially somebody elses!

 

My Marjoram by the little road that passes the bottom of my garden has lots of hover flies and bees but I don't see many butterflies going to it.

 

But variety is the spice of life; its a little of what you fancy that does you good.
Animals rely on this to self medicate, its why your dog may chew grass , sheep take ivy and why cattle will break fences to get to herbs, or eat concrete to correct a salt deficency