# Wounded butterfly **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Tags:** question\ **Created:** [March 28, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403 "2025-03-28T21:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sandrap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Sandrap](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Sandrap)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/1 "2025-03-28T21:18:50Z")
I found this butterfly in my apt breezeway. I need help helping it please!!! It’s a beautiful butterfly and I hope it’s not going to die! I’ve given it sugar water on a paper towel. Help!!! ![IMG_1092](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/9/b/9bd62f5c1ddfa1e7dd7aaf963a84ceee4bbfc70e.jpeg) ![IMG_1091](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/d/3/d3aa8a95fa50a9b8d3ff08a34f6e19bec30c5163.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![sethshively](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/sethshively/32/68964_2.png) [@sethshively](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/sethshively)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/2 "2025-03-28T21:26:19Z")
That actually appears to be a [Polyphemus moth](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47919-Antheraea-polyphemus), and I don’t believe they eat as adults, they rely on energy stored up from their caterpillar stage. Large moths like this are often pretty lethargic when you find them during the day ---
**Author:** ![Sandrap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Sandrap](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Sandrap)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/3 "2025-03-28T21:27:16Z")
So nothing I can do to save it? ---
**Author:** ![sethshively](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/sethshively/32/68964_2.png) [@sethshively](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/sethshively)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/4 "2025-03-28T21:28:30Z")
Is there anything visibly wrong with it? If it seems to be dying, it could just be at the end of its short adult life cycle. I would just leave it alone, maybe perch it on a safer area like a tree ---
**Author:** ![Sandrap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Sandrap](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Sandrap)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/5 "2025-03-28T21:28:44Z")
My neighbors have animals I don’t want it to get eaten. It’s so pretty! ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/6 "2025-03-28T21:32:55Z")
As @sethshively says, it may be near the end of its life. In adult form, moths/butterflies don’t live very long, sometimes just days. Their main purpose is to find other adults, breed, lay eggs, then pass away. And they are an important food source for many other animals. While it can be painful to think about it being eaten, its death will support the life or lives of other animals. I agree the best thing to do would be to put it on a branch or tree somewhere, say goodbye, and maybe look for caterpillars in a few months to a year. ---
**Author:** ![Sandrap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Sandrap](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Sandrap)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/7 "2025-03-28T21:35:43Z")
I’ll do it! I didn’t see good reply before my last one! I’ll put it on a tree then! Thanks y’all! ---
**Author:** ![ra\_teo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/ra_teo/32/69859_2.png) [@ra\_teo](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/ra_teo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/8 "2025-03-30T07:33:22Z")
I don’t see an obvious problem, maybe it’s just in ‘standby’ mode, like most moths do. ---
**Author:** ![austin\_ajit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/austin_ajit/32/56031_2.png) [@austin\_ajit](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/austin_ajit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 12:04pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/9 "2025-03-30T12:04:04Z")
I think thats a moth, not a butterfly. Plus I don’t really see any injuries on it. Perhaps it just chose to land there. Or, as others have said, perhaps it’s just at the end of it’s lifespan. I’d recommend just leaving it on a tree or wall, to let it fly away later. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2025, 12:04pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/wounded-butterfly/63403/10 "2025-05-29T12:04:18Z")
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