i have a butterfly bush in front yard and have found the undamaged wings of multiple viceroy butterflys with no body or body still attached but no heads. I wonder what caused this since I would think birds would eat the whole insect or damage the wings.
2006-10-03 05:44:23 · 8 answers · asked by northhavenmom 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
As to the butterfly carcasses where only the head is detached, there could be many animals that may have just had a taste of the butterfly and then decided it didn't like the taste and discarded the rest.
Both birds and mantises will eat insects and discard the wings in perfect condition, so that could be the case. Some birds will eat the wings like you said, but others will hold a butterfly in their feet and then either tear the wings off first before eating the body or will eat the body and leave only the wings behind.
Maybe this weekend get a snack and a drink and watch your butterfly bush for a while to see if you can catch the culprit! Good luck and let us know if you find anything out!
2006-10-03 15:12:54 · answer #1 · answered by Pnutsmom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Praying Mantis maybe? I know birds are the predators of butterflies but I think that birds eat the butterfly whole.
2006-10-03 05:50:20 · answer #2 · answered by Peter in La Jolla San Diego CA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humans.
2006-10-03 07:19:00 · answer #3 · answered by email_of_eternal_stench 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe the pedator was going to mount the wings in his hive, like we do with deer heads.
2006-10-03 08:05:26 · answer #4 · answered by ShavenLlama 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some birds would do this they leave the coloured wings,as colour means poison in the wild
2006-10-03 05:55:55 · answer #5 · answered by dumplingmuffin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A zoolootracenortonjackbutt.
2006-10-03 06:03:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ground hog
2006-10-03 08:08:25 · answer #7 · answered by tanner s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe aliens
2006-10-03 07:30:43 · answer #8 · answered by T-Luv 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋