This video shows a newly emerged monarch butterfly drinking nectar from a swamp milkweed (ascelepias incarnata) flower using its proboscis which functions much like a straw. You can see it moving to reach the nectar in each individual flower. When not feeding, the proboscis curls up compactly. Sometimes when I have a butterfly who is new to eating, Jess or I will use a toothpick to gently unfurl the proboscis so that the butterfly will feed more readily. I thought that some of you might enjoy se