How do butterflies hibernate or aestivate?
Butterflies hibernate as adults, eggs, immature caterpillars or pupae. To survive the extremes of the climate (cold in the winter, heat and drought in the summer, especially in tropical habitats) butterflies undergo a rest period called the diapause during which the vital functions are kept at the very minimum. No growth or development occurs in the egg, caterpillar or pupae, and the adult butterfly just hangs in a suitable place motionless waiting for better conditions to arrive. Sorbitol and glycerol are known to exist in the blood of some butterflies, and they function as natural anti-freeze agents.
