Butterfly Buffet

Butterflies actually start out as caterpillars, then they form cocoons, and finally they emerge from their cocoons as butterflies. When they're caterpillars, they munch on leaves. A few types of caterpillars eat meat, such as other insects. Once butterflies grow up, they can only sip liquid food using a tube-like proboscis, which is their tongue. Most butterflies drink nectar from flowers, but a couple of kinds drink liquid from rotting fruits or even rotting animals! Monarch butterfly caterpillars chew the leaves of the milkweed plant. These leaves are poisonous to many insects and animals, but not for the Monarch. In fact, the milkweed poison makes the Monarch butterfly poisonous itself! That helps keep it safe because predators don't want to eat it.

The Painted lady butterflies eat hollyhock, sunflower, and canola nectar. Some other flowers that butterflies like are asters, lavender, zinnias and violas.

Find the Butterfly Food in the Crossword Puzzle