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By Michael Raupp, Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland
You are viewing: Where Butterflies Seek Shelter During Rainy Days
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Imagine a monarch butterfly gracefully fluttering in search of nectar or a mate on a hot and humid July afternoon. Suddenly, a fast-moving thunderstorm approaches, bringing with it gusty winds and heavy raindrops. While this may seem trivial to us, for butterflies like the monarch, it becomes a matter of survival. A monarch butterfly weighs around 500 milligrams, while large raindrops weigh 70 milligrams or more. If a raindrop of this size were to hit a monarch butterfly, it would feel like being pelted by water balloons with twice the mass of bowling balls.
Butterflies have evolved strategies to cope with rainy weather. As amateur and professional lepidopterists have observed, when dark skies, strong breezes, and the first raindrops signal an impending storm, butterflies quickly seek shelter among protective vegetation and hide beneath leaves. During heavy rains and strong winds, butterflies are rarely seen. Rain not only poses a direct threat of injury or death, but the cool air associated with storms can also reduce temperatures below the threshold required for butterfly flight. To prepare for flight, butterflies bask in direct sunlight, which warms their flight muscles. However, overcast skies limit their access to sunlight, hindering their ability to take flight. Thus, when rain threatens, butterflies seek refuge in their nighttime homes.
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Butterflies become quiescent when it is dark and find shelter in protected locations called roosts within one or two hours after sunset. These roosts can be tall grasses, perennial herbaceous plants, tangled thickets of woody shrubs, undersides of large leaves, caves, or even man-made objects like fences or hanging baskets. Butterflies may also roost beneath the vegetation of overhanging trees. The upper canopy leaves intercept raindrops, reducing their impact on the vegetation and butterflies below.
Certain species of neotropical butterflies, such as the zebra butterfly (Heliconius charitonius), roost together with their peers. Perhaps due to the company they keep, Heliconius butterflies display an interesting fidelity to their roosts, often returning to the same location or individual plant for several nights. When rain is imminent, zebra butterflies enter their nocturnal roosts much earlier than they would on clear days. Similarly to us humans, they also exhibit considerable lethargy on rainy mornings, delaying their usual early departure by several hours. Prolonged periods of rainy weather can even reduce the population of butterflies in a roosting group, as cool temperatures hinder their mobility and escape from predators.
Ultimately, butterflies do their best to avoid the rain. However, as soon as the sun returns after a summer shower, they quickly resume their patrolling and courting activities. So the next time you see the sky darken and hear the rumble of thunder, take a cue from these delicate creatures. Find a safe roost out of the rain, but as soon as the sun emerges, venture out and revel in the wonders of nature once again.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHEN
