I enjoy polysemes—words with plural meanings. One might think that my title, butterfly symposium, must refer to a seminar of lepidopterists. It doesn’t. The root meaning of symposium is drinking party (sym: together; posium: to drink). Certainly, it is clear how the impression of reflective discourse arose from such a bibulous activity.
I typically see butterflies in ones and twos, but on this occasion I tagged along with Janice Arndt on her rare-butterfly project for the Waneta Terrestrial Compensation Program. There will be more postings from this jaunt as various butterflies are identified.
So, these butterflies are holding a symposium: they are drinking together. Chuckle.
Indeed, butterflies often gather at moist areas to sip water laden with salt and nutrients (as distinct from alcohol). These are things they don’t get from nectar.
The butterflies in these pictures are Tiger Swallowtails. The white and black ones are Pale Tiger Swallowtails, while the yellow and black ones are Western Tiger Swallowtails. These are rather large, impressive, and fairly common butterflies.
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies hold a symposium.
This Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies is drinking on its own.
As is this one. You can see the butterfly’s proboscis (its tongue) extending to the moist surface.
Two Pales drink together. There is yellow pollen stuck to an abdomen and to the left, a Western Spring Azure.
The two species regularly go drinking together.
“I’m arriving a bit late; may I join you?”
So exquisite. The late arrival could be a beleaguered angel. The two species regularly drink together because they’re drinking butt’ies. I didn’t know about symposium. On etymologies – not necessarily entomological etymologies – you probably know that companions are those who share bread.
Pamella, I think the last picture may merely show a butterflying. I did not know about companion, but I will add that to my understanding that Jupiter is god the father, and that a hymn was so named because it was sung at at weddings to praise Hymen, the god of marriage (you figure it out).
Have attended many symposiums in my other life and did not realize the meaning of the name. They are very well named.