Why can butterflies taste with their feet?

Butterflies (including our very own Painted Ladies) have the ability to taste with their feet. That may seem strange to us, but it serves a very important purpose. When a butterfly lands on a leaf, they are tasting and testing it to see if their caterpillars will be able to eat it. Butterflies do not care for their young after they hatch, so they want to be sure they are laying their eggs in a place where the larvae will have plenty of food.