Many people are familiar with the monarch butterfly's winter strategy--migration to Mexico. But most insect pollinators don’t migrate. Instead, many of the butterflies and bees of the SBG are still here with us throughout the coldest months in a variety of life stages--as an egg, larva, pupa, or adult. They survive by entering diapause, a period of suspended development that allows them to safely wait out the freezing weather.
It's hard to believe on a frigid January day, but a few insects wait out the winter in the adult stage, safely tucked away into crevices. in between logs or underneath loose bark on trees. The mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) spends the winter with us as an adult, so it often can be seen flying very early in spring, and occasionally even during warm spells in January or February. This butterfly is one of the longest-lived of all butterflies(11 months) and it has a very unusual and interesting life cycle!
Eggs are laid in early spring on the twigs of trees (favorited species include willow, elm and hackberry) and the little caterpillars feed on the leaves all together in a big web.
New adults emerge in June or July and feed for a few weeks. Then, during the hottest months of the summer, they will “estivate”, which is basically a summer diapause. They’ll tuck themselves away in a cool shady hideaway. When the weather cools down again in the fall, the adults will wake up and feed to get ready for winter. Then they’ll find a nice protected spot under tree bark to spend the winter.
The adult is well camouflaged, with underwings that mimic the texture of tree bark. Besides this excellent disguise, the mourning cloak has another winter strategy. It keeps from freezing by replacing the water in its body with antifreeze compounds (cryoprotectants) which supercool its bodily fluids and tissues. Its hairy body provides insulation, and its dark wings soak up the rays on sunny days.
When the weather finally warms up a little, that butterfly is going to feel hungry—but there aren’t usually many flowers blooming in February! What's a hungry butterfly to do? In the case of the mourning cloak, it will feed on tree sap, with oak sap being a particular favorite.
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Erik Karits, Pixabay

​Stealing a kiss under the mistletoe is a well-known Christmas tradition. But mistletoe is not just a holiday decoration--It’s vitally important as food, cover, and nesting sites for a large array of creatures. In fact, some animals couldn’t even survive without mistletoe, including some butterflies.
There are over 1,300 species of mistletoe throughout the world; the species most commonly associated with our Yuletide custom in the US is the native American or Oak mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum).
All mistletoe species are parasitic, eventually causing the death of their host. The sticky seeds typically reach their host thanks to a bird that has eaten a berry, which deposits the seed onto the tree or shrub (0ften with fertilizer included!). Though mistletoe might seem like an undesirable plant because it kills its host trees, some are important keystone species in their habitats.
Three species of hairstreak butterflies (great purple hairstreak, thicket hairstreak, and Johnson’s hairstreak) in the United States depend on mistletoe as a host plant. Females lay their eggs on the leaves; when the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the leaves. The adult butterflies feed on mistletoe nectar, as do honeybees and other native bees; indeed, mistletoe flowers provide one of the earliest available nectar sources for bees.
In addition to butterflies, birds and bees, deer, elk, squirrels and porcupines seek mistletoe berries during the late fall when other food sources become scarce. Mistletoe also provides important winter cover and nesting sites for many birds.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo Credit Anthony Valois, and the National Park Service, found at smmflowers.org.

Squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) have been pollinating pumpkins in North America for thousands of years. All pumpkins are descended from a single species of squash-- Cucurbita pepo, native to the southwest. Squash bees have coevolved with this plant over thousands of years, and thus are highly attuned to its habits.
Like all cucurbits, pumpkins are monoecious, which means that each plant bears either all-male or all-female flowers. Therefore, pollinators are necessary to move pollen from the flowers of one plant to another. Enter the mighty squash bee!
The diminutive, half-inch long squash bees emerge in early July, just as their favorite plants begin to flower. Early risers, they feed at dawn, just as the flowers are first opening (they’ll close by midday, so time is of the essence!)
Both sexes drink nectar, but females rely entirely on squash pollen to feed their young. This pollen is relatively large and sticky, and adheres well to the squash bee’s hairy body.
Faster than a speeding bullet? At least, faster than a honeybee. Their highly efficient foraging schedule and hairier body makes them a squash super-hero! And when their workday is done, you could find a male snoozing inside a closed-up flower. Pollinating is hard work!
Squash bees are solitary and ground nesting; they build shallow tunnels, often in the bare, packed soil right beneath the plant. They’ll overwinter there, so exercise caution--tilling will disturb or destroy the nest.
Happy Halloween!
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: bugguide.net

Many people like to mow their lawns quite late in the season to easily catch those last fallen leaves and give a tidy appearance. But this practice has several drawbacks.
Grass skippers are a distinctive presence in the garden and are easily identified at rest. With their hind wings held flat on the surface and the forewings held at a 45 degree angle, their silhouette resembles a tiny fighter jet! Skippers lay their eggs on grasses and sedges, and the caterpillars roll the edges of the leaves to make a shelter, sealing the edges with silk. There the caterpillars will spend the winter. The fiery skipper (pictured) is especially fond of Bermuda grass and crabgrass.
If you give your grass a ‘crewcut’ late in the season, you could be chopping up next year’s skippers. Leaving it longer is better for your turf, too--grass that’s cut very short in the late fall or early spring allows weeds to get a head start. If the lawn really needs cutting, consider setting your mower to its highest blade height (at least six inches). That way, the blades will pass over the top of the growing caterpillars, and you’ll also give your turfgrass a fighting chance come spring.
Ornamental grasses (such as fountain grass or muhly grass) should be left standing through the winter. In addition to providing shelter for many creatures, they provide interest in the winter landscape. They can be cut back in the spring, when the first green shoots of new growth begin to appear.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo courtesy of Riveredge Nature Center

As the days shorten and temperatures drop, wildlife obey their instinct to build up reserves and find shelter for winter. For humans, our autumnal urges often lean in the direction of tidying up—especially our gardens. But we often overlook the fact that our drive to clean up can come at the expense of some of the creatures who share our landscapes.
Fallen leaves are essential winter shelter for many pollinators and other creatures. As leaves fall, consider raking them into your garden beds. Not only do they enrich your soil by breaking down into (free!) compost, they provide insulation for many butterflies and moths that pupate in the soil, just under the leaf litter. Azures, Hairstreaks and Sphinx moths are just a few of the Lepidoptera who will thank you for this cozy blanket.
If the look of leaves is more unkempt than you can tolerate, consider shredding them by running over them with a mower first. You can even make your own shredder by placing them in a large metal garbage can and using a string trimmer as a ‘stick blender’ to break them down. They can then be used as the best mulch that money can’t buy!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: wisconsinbutterflies.org

You've probably heard that old wives’ tale about how a woolly bear’s stripe can predict the weather for the winter ahead. Traditionally, it’s been said that a mostly black woolly bear means a harsh winter, while a large rusty band predicts a milder one. This lore dates to colonial times and was even more widely circulated after a small study by a New York State entomologist was published in the New York Herald Tribune in 1948.
In fact, the woolly bear caterpillar's coloring is based on several factors: how well the caterpillar has been feeding, its age, and its species. The larvae will shed their skins six times before reaching adult size, and their color changes with each successive molt. An early spring or wetter weather during the caterpillar’s development can mean more food resources, quicker growth, and thus more change in coloration.
Additionally, of the approximately 260 different species of tiger moth in North America, each has a slightly different color pattern--some entirely black, and some with little to no black at all.
So it would seem that woolly bears might be better at recapping the season behind us than predicting the weather ahead! But whether they’re useful forecasters or not, we can help woolly bears by providing good habitat. As generalists, tiger moths aren't fussy, but important larval host plants include deciduous trees and herbaceous plants such as asters and sunflowers.
We can also provide plenty of winter shelter in our landscapes, such as leaf litter and fallen logs.
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Wayne Longbottom

The ‘woolly bear’ caterpillar is often seen in autumn as it trundles along, crossing roads and pathways in search of winter shelter. Its common name is derived not just from the ‘woolly’ bristles that cover its body, but also from its habit of going into dormancy during the cold months of winter.
Woolly bears are the larval stage of the tiger moth. There are more than 260 different species of tiger moths in North America; one of the most common is the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrhactia isabella, pictured). The caterpillar will spend the winter in this stage, aided by its body’s ability to manufacture a type of antifreeze (glycerol) which will keep it alive during periods of freezing weather. It searches for sheltered nooks (such as cavities under tree bark) in which to hunker down for a long winter’s nap. When spring comes, the larva will feed briefly before spinning its silky cocoon and transforming into a beautiful tiger moth.
And what about the folklore that suggests that you can predict the severity of the winter ahead based on a woolly bear’s coat? Tune in tomorrow for the answer!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Dave Roberts

How can I help?
At the SBG, we work hard to maintain our beautiful gardens as a habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. But you don’t have to have a huge garden to help!
It could be as simple as adding native milkweed to your existing garden. Milkweed is the monarch’s host plant: the only plant the caterpillar can eat, and the only place a monarch will lay her eggs. It’s also a good source of nectar, as are other fall-bloomers such as native asters and goldenrod. These late-summer beauties provide much-needed fuel for monarchs as they move south to Mexico, and help other pollinators make a healthy transition to winter.
For more ideas about how to create habitat for monarchs and other pollinators, visit our website: snetsingerbutterflygarden.org
Author: Lisa Schneider
​Photo credit: Pam Ford