This time of year, we delight in watching butterflies clumsily dance from flower to flower as they seek out nectar. These colorful insects flit from blossom to blossom, pausing briefly at some with an extended stay at others. Upon alighting, the butterfly unfurls a long proboscis (coiled feeding tube) and inserts it into the flower; and then, it sucks up the sugary liquid. This substance is formed in nectaries (nectar glands) usually found around the base of petals inside the flower. It is made up of glucose, fructose and sucrose, as well as proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, lipids, alkaloids and oils; perfect food for an organism with a high metabolism.
This nectar can be produced by flowers so specialized that only one type of insect can get to the substance.
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