Butterflies feed on a variety of fluids including nectar, sap, and rotting fruit, which host a diversity of microbial communities. Butterflies who feed on these substrates are ingesting their food as well as the microbes that live in it. Ingesting microbes could potentially reduce the butterflies’ fitness. We hypothesized that the saliva of butterflies has anti-microbial properties that combat the microbial communities in butterfly food sources. In order to test this, butterfly saliva was collected and analyzed in a mix of Pseudomonas and Micrococcus for microbial inhibition. Our preliminary research indicates bacterial growth is inhibited in the presence of butterfly saliva.
Valerie R. Kramer is a sophomore at Kent State Stark. She is majoring in biology and intends to attend graduate school and earn a degree in biometrics.