butterflys

Butterflies can't fly if they're cold

Butterflies actually need to maintain a surprisingly high body temperature if they want to fly around. For a butterfly to operate at an optimal level, its body temperature needs to be around a staggering 30°C (86°C). If it is too cold, the butterfly will be rendered completely immobile.

Maintaining a high internal temperature is a tough task for an insect with cold blood. Butterflies warm up by 'basking' in the sun, staying still on vegetation with their wings spread in direct sunlight. Their wings contain a network of small capillaries and this activity heats the blood in butterflies' veins, allowing for transport of warmed blood throughout their small bodies.