How do butterflies spend the winter?
In areas where temperatures drop below freezing during part of the winter, at least one stage in a butterfly species’ life cycle must be resistant to freezing if the species is a resident. Most butterflies that live in cold climates spend the winter as caterpillars, while almost as many spend the winter as a chrysalis. A few species spend the winter as adults, hibernating in holes in trees, in crevices in man-made structures, or in other shelters. A very few species spend the winter as eggs. Some species may migrate to warmer climates for the winter, such as the monarch butterfly.
