Nectaring

The title of this post come from the present participle of the word:  Nectar. 

With attributes of both moth and butterfly the butterfly in the photo is some sort of skipper - precisely what member of that family I am unsure.  In any event, it is sipping on nectar from a common milkweed blossom.   

Be sure to click on the photo for a very clear view of the anatomy of the drinking apparatus.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Butterflies have these taste sensors on their legs, which inform them about the taste of the plants they stand on.  Most adult butterflies drink through their tongues - called a proboscis - which function much like a straw.  They will drink liquids in the form of nectar and sap from flowers and trees, juices from fruits and water and minerals from puddles.  Poop and road kill are not beneath a hungry butterfly either. 
 
New butterflies often curl and uncurl their proboscis to test it.   When the proboscis is not being used it is rolled-up like a garden hose.