The small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is another brush-footed butterfly that spends the winter as a fully developed butterfly (adult). To do this, it seeks out a cool, dark, and sheltered spot in autumn, often in our cellars, garages, or attics. There, it enters a state of cold-induced dormancy (hibernation). It is important that these places remain unheated, as warmth would wake it prematurely and deplete its energy reserves. It is one of the first to delight us with its appearance on warm days in February.
[Photo: Reto Künzler, Bern]
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