The heads of butterflies contain their sense and feeding organs. Butterflies use their antennae and palpi to smell and taste chemicals in the air, helping them find food and mates. Their compound eyes are excellent at detecting motion and color, and they can even see ultraviolet light. The proboscis functions like drinking straw, allowing butterflies to feed on liquid food sources like nectar from flowers and minerals from the ground.
In today’s photo the proboscis is uncoiled and reaches almost rectilinear into a flower of Verbena bonariensis, the purpletop vervain.
Butterflies have two segmented antennas with a small club at the end of each. The almost spherical head of butterflies also contains its brain, the Johnston’s organ, and mustache-like sensory palps. The Johnston’s organ is located at the base of the antennae. It is responsible for maintaining the butterfly’s sense of balance and orientation during flight. Palps are the mustache-like scaly mouthparts that are located on each side of the proboscis. These palps are covered with sensory hairs and scales which sense food.