Butterflies That Hibernate
It's strange but true that some British butterflies hibernate whilst others migrate across the English Channel to warmer climes for winter.
Butterflies have different strategies to cope with winter in their short adult lives of approximately nine months. Some adult butterflies hibernate, some migrate whilst others stay in the chrysalis stage before pupating into adulthood.
In March, you may see peacock butterflies and small tortoiseshell butterflies. Finding Brimstone butterflies in mild winters are not unusual - even in January.
Nectar provides pollinating insects such as butterflies and bees sustenance. For example, honey bees collect nectar to feed their young and make honey. Therefore the flowers around us must give a large output of nectar to feed pollinating insects that rely upon them. It's another marvel of nature.
During late autumn, hibernating butterflies search for sheltered dark places safe from frost. It is not unusual to find butterflies hibernating in a garden shed. Gently transport a hibernating butterfly you see in your home to a garden shed or garage.
If you awake a peacock butterfly, they may make an impressive alarm hissing sound whilst opening their wings. This sound can frighten predators. The 'eye' pattern on their wings are also to scare predators.
Peacock Butterfly Watercolour Artwork by Alison Langridge
When the peacock butterfly awakes from her hibernation in the spring, she will lay her eggs on the underside of stinging nettles, which is her caterpillars' sole food plant. The small tortoiseshell butterfly caterpillars also feed on stinging nettles.
It is always a good idea to leave some nettles for the peacock and tortoiseshell butterflies as gardeners. Then, if you have a buddleia to feed nectar to the adults, you are sure to have a garden full of beautiful peacock butterflies and small tortoiseshell butterflies. Small tortoiseshell butterflies will also lay eggs again in August.
The life cycle of small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies
When tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies emerge from hibernation in early spring, the butterflies will feed for a few days to gain strength and energy. Soon they will seek stinging nettles to lay eggs.
When the butterfly eggs hatch into caterpillars, they get together to form a group and spin around themselves a silk tent where they will all live and feed.
When the caterpillars have eaten and grown sufficiently to undergo metamorphosis, they will seek a branch of a tree or other suitable place. Then, whilst hanging upside down, they will turn into a chrysalis for a few weeks and pupate into an adult butterfly.
Tortoiseshell Butterfly Watercolour by Alison Langridge
The adult butterflies will seek a mate and lay eggs, after which they will die. Thus, we see beautiful butterflies grace our summer months for a few short months, but we may also find them asleep in the most unexpected places during winter.