Butterflies in winter: This is how they survive the cold!

Butterflies in winter: This is how they survive the cold!

The cold season is just around the corner, and that doesn't just affect us humans. The colorful butterflies that flutter around our gardens also have to prepare for winter. But how exactly do these fascinating insects overwinter? Today we'll look at the different overwintering strategies of local butterfly species and give tips on how you can help these unique creatures survive the cold season.

Butterflies are cold-blooded animals that adapt their activity to the ambient temperature. Many species, such as the peacock butterfly and the lesser tortoiseshell, overwinter as butterflies. They look for sheltered places, such as tree hollows or cellars, where they greatly reduce their metabolic activity in order to save energy. Others, like the pigeontail, move south to find milder temperatures - a real long-distance runner with up to 2,000 kilometers in two weeks! For many butterfly species, overwintering is crucial for the survival of their populations and helps maintain the stability of food chains, as the butterfly breeding platform highlights butterflies-zuechten.de.

Different life cycles and overwintering methods

Overall, there are several overwintering strategies: Some species overwinter as eggs, such as the kidney-spotted hairstreak, which lays its eggs in protected places. These eggs are surprisingly robust because they can survive even freezing temperatures. Others spend the winter as pupae, such as the swallowtail and various white butterflies, which pupate in protective cocoons. In addition, larvae, such as those of large butterfly species, can hide in the ground or under tree bark gardenjournal.net.

One of the particularly protected species that spends its time in the cold is the great kingfisher, which wraps itself in a leaf bag. This cold torpor is a survival strategy that allows the insects to survive successfully during the cold months. But they don't just ensure their survival through freezing cold; The pupal shell also protects butterflies from wind, moisture and predators az-online.de.

Protecting and supporting butterflies in winter

So how can you as a garden lover take action to help butterflies during the winter? There are lots of useful tips! For example, you should not bring butterflies into the house, as they wake up at temperatures above 12 degrees and then often starve. Instead, you can build a butterfly insect hotel filled with leaves, brushwood, or bark. Such shelters provide protection and help animals hide there.

It is also important to make the garden insect-friendly. Heaps of stones and brushwood as well as dead wood provide an ideal habitat. Plants such as ivy should not be cut back too far in order to create sufficient retreats. Anyone who encounters a tempted butterfly should put it in an air-permeable box and keep it in a cool, frost-free place gardenjournal.net.

The overwintering strategies of butterflies are just as diverse as the species themselves. By being good at designing our own garden landscape, we can help ensure that these colorful creatures can continue to impress our surroundings in the coming spring. Join us so that butterflies have a flourishing future here too!