Mourning Cloak Butterfly
by Lila Fisher-Wenzel
Title
Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Artist
Lila Fisher-Wenzel
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
One of the "winter" butterflies, the mourning cloak is often seen flying very early in the spring. Like other tortoiseshells and anglewings, the mourning cloak overwinters as an adult, even in areas with freezing winters. On sunny days, the mourning cloak's dark color and basking behavior allow it to raise its temperature well above the air temperature. The wings act as solar collectors, warming the hemolymph (blood) in the wing veins and returning the warmed fluid to the body until the butterfly reaches a temperature sufficient for flight.
Uploaded
April 20th, 2013
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Viewed 79 Times - Last Visitor from Cupertino, CA on 03/25/2024 at 10:49 PM
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