Kishen ji, I am also a member of Indiantreepix Group. I had sent a query. The Answer I received, I am forwarding here. My questions is: why would B'flies ACT dead? Can it not be dangerous, if a butterfly ACTs dead and in the meantime it is collected and pinned? or someone steps on it? Does anyone know, if insects get drunk? Regards Nalini
############### I wonder, has anyone seen or read, that bees, butterflies etc prefer to drink fermented fruit sap, nectar rather than normal sap, and if they get drunk afterwards? I have read that in laboratories experiments are carried out to this respect. But in nature, does any insect get drunk? In my garden I have seen many bees drinking sap of fallen mirabelles, but havn't seen drunken bees so far. Regards Nalini ----- Original Message ----- From: Pankaj Oudhia To: efloraofindia Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 8:18 PM Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:43535] bumble bee rehabilitation Nalini ji, I posted your query to Entomo-L list. I have received one response so far. Please see the message pasted below. ----- Many years ago I watched various bees, wasps, and butterflies congregating on a sand pine (Pinus clausa). The butterflies in particular would perch on foliage and then then drop as if dead to the ground. A few minutes later they'd flutter back to their perch and do it again. In the spring, sand pines are known to heavily produce volatiles and I couldn't help but think that the butterflies were getting drunk on the compounds. ---- Michael C. Thomas, Ph.D. Florida State Collection of Arthropods Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services P.O. Box 147100 Gainesville, FL 32614-7100 352-372-3505 ext 187 [email protected] -------- regards Pankaj Oudhia -- Enjoy
