red admiral
Boydtd at aol.com
Boydtd at aol.com
Thu Aug 12 17:35:36 EDT 1999
We know that Red Admirals do overwinter here in Ireland sometimes because we
see them flying occasionally in January or February if the weather is kind,
but we rarely get reports of someone actually finding them in hibernation.
Lucille O'Shea's instance is therefore of interest and value. It has been
said that that they don't go in for full hibernation as do Small
Tortoiseshells and Peacocks, but merely a sort of temporary sleep, waking up
at times during the winter when they feel warm enough. This must mean that
they use up energy reserves which they can't easily replace because there are
few flowers with nectar during the winter, and probably won't survive until
the spring. However, some do make it, though an insignificant number
compared with the thousands which arrive in early summer each year (not so
many this year).
Trevor Boyd
Butterfly Conservation, Northern Ireland
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