At the right place, at the right time again, and this time I had my camera, BONUS! This female monarch butterfly emerged with such a perfection it was mesmerizing to watch, even if I have seen it hundreds of times before.

I really enjoyed watching this female elongate her proboscis once I placed her on a red penta. As I have stated before, the proboscis acts as the butterfly’s straw. The strong muscles in the butterfly’s head will stretch its first part of the esophagus to sip the nectar from the flower.

When the butterfly first emerges, the proboscis is in two parts. The butterfly will coil, and uncoil after it emerges until it fuses together.

Did you know there are muscles, nerves, and air tubes the length of the proboscis? When blood is forced into the proboscis it extends and the muscles help the butterfly move it when feeding. Tiny sensory pegs on the outside of the proboscis, one near the tip, both find and taste the nectar.