By: Hettie Basil Lighttower
Most people have grown accustomed to the story about the monarch and how it flies to Mexico for the winter. But what do other butterflies do? Recently you might have heard about the low numbers of monarchs and that they may become extinct. But what is the status of other butterflies? Although I am a huge fan of monarchs, I get disheartened knowing that other butterflies have much larger issues and much less support.
This discussion is not going to pertain to the winner of the popularity contest. Let’s see what other butterflies of West Virginia are doing. The majority of butterflies in West Virginia hibernate instead of migrate. Most often they overwinter as caterpillars! Most species that use a tree as a host plant hibernate in a hibernaculum as a caterpillar.
A hibernaculum is a shelter the larva makes by “sewing” a leaf to the tree. The leaf of course is already attached to the host tree, however; the caterpillar innately knows come wintertime with harsh winds and freezing weather, that leaf will eventually get ripped off the branch. So, they sew! Lots and lots of webbing gets spun the distance/surface of the leaf and onto the branch in all directions of the branch where the leaf is naturally attached. They reinforce the connection stem super good then tighten and pull the leaf into a “tube”.
Inside the tube-shaped leaf made by tightening the silk round and round, they are safe inside for the winter. Before they get too comfortable, they make a door and sew the end of the leaf shut. All caterpillars of any moth or butterfly have spinnerets similar to ones spiders have. I think it is fascinating how each species uses its spinneret and webbing as a tool for whatever its natural history requires.
When taking a stroll during the fall, winter and early spring months next time glance up at a tree or two and inspect the branches. If you happen to spy a leaf still attached but it looks quite skinny, there’s a caterpillar inside! Leaves do not stay on trees naturally. A caterpillar did that! Some oak leaves will stay on but they are the exception. Particular trees to observe are willow, cherry, elm, hackberry, aspen, or cottonwood.
Other caterpillars, particularly those in the fritillary family, will find leaf litter or crevices near to the ground at the base of their host plants, like wild violets. Butterflies in the swallowtail family will overwinter in the pupal stage. Their chrysalids look like a small piece of wood. They have the perfect camouflage when they attach to the side of a branch or nearby tree. As a matter of fact, it is quite difficult to know if it is wood or not. They truly look like wood but in an unusual shape.
A few butterflies deal with winter as adults. They simply tuck themselves away into slit in the bark of a tree or other narrow crevice of safety. Wood piles and brush piles have been ideal shelter for adult butterflies, chrysalids, or moths and cocoons.
On that note, do you know the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon? Moths make cocoons. Butterflies make chrysalids. Chrysalids is plural for chrysalis. Both are the pupal stage respectively of the moth and butterfly. A chrysalis is when the caterpillar sheds its skin for the last time and then it hardens and “crystalizes”. The new exoskeleton is exposed. It is most of the time like a shiny gem or has ornamental sparkles to it. (However, the wood-like swallowtails don’t follow this rule. There is always a rule breaker lol) A cocoon is a gathering and covering of “things” to create a capsule in which to enclose. A moth caterpillar will use structures, leaves, grass bits, their own “fur” and weave it all together with their silk webbing to cover up and pupate inside. The outer shell of a cocoon can be quite firm and hard, very protected.
To clarify further, the pupa stage of a moth and butterfly are the same stage where the individual “rests” and makes its wings after having completed its life as a caterpillar. The pupa of the moth is hidden inside a cocoon covering. The pupa of a butterfly is the newly hardened shiny chrysalis in the raw without a covering.
It intrigues me that lepidoptera in West Virginia will overwinter or hibernate in every stage except for the egg. I am not familiar with any that do. If you know of a species that overwinters as an egg, please enlighten me.
The word “rests” above is set aside in quotation marks because in the pupa a caterpillar remnant is doing anything but resting. Because we cannot see movement or life-like actions happening we humans naturally consider that resting. Much is going on during that time in the pupa. Reorganizing of cells and systems is taking place to create the magnificent phenomena we know as metamorphosis.
To answer the question of “What is the status of other butterflies in West Virginia?”, some are in dire straits. We clearly do not see as many butterflies these days as we have in years gone by. There are two species in the fritillary family that truly are near extinction in our state. Small colonies are surviving still, as far as I know, in Kanawha County of the Diana Fritillary (Speyeria diana) and the Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia). Both rely on wild violets as their main host plant. As a close runner up, the passionvine (Passiflora species) is also used as a host plant. Host plants are those food sources for caterpillars.
There are so many more butterflies that need help in their struggle to survive not only in West Virginia but also throughout the country. Knowledge of who they are and of their supporting plants is key to their survival.
Send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. And remember, kindness is contagious~*