Dying Mourning Cloak?

[Mark Cassino]

Ken --

Thanks for that info.

Here's how things stand now:

The weather changed yesterday with the wind picking up and light rain.  The
wind was enough to blow the butterfly off its perch, and instead of just
letting it sit on the ground and get rained on, I brought it into the house.
Last night I tried feeding it by setting it on a wooden stick with freshly
crushed apple next to it.  Today I tried again with fresh white grapes.  I
observed it feeding today, but don't know about yesterday.  I left it with
the food for several hours and put it in a large house plant at other times.

It does not open it wings or fly, but walks a little (a few inches.)

I don't know how these insects hibernate -- could its metabolism have
shifted into a hibernation mode, thus explaining the lack of energy?  If
so -- maybe I should put it outside in a protected place and hope that it
revives in the spring.

Or could it be suffering from pesticide exposure -- and if so, is there any
chance of it getting better?

Thanks --

MCC


--
-------
Mark Cassino
Kalamazoo, MI
cassino at net-link.net
-------
Bird, Insect & Graden Photos:
http://www.net-link.net/~cassino



<sebrez at webtv.net> wrote in message
news:8285-38091C78-19 at storefull-122.bryant.webtv.net...
> Mark,
>    Mourning Cloaks hibernate over the winter, usually under a loose
> piece of bark or in a hole in a tree.
>
> ken
> walton ny
>
>