Go Bananas For Dorset’s Butterflies this Autumn by Morwenna Alldis
We normally associate butterflies with lazy summer days and a kaleidoscope of colour, as our gardens burst into full bloom. However, it’s really important that we spare our garden flutter-bys a thought as the landscape begins to rust this of autumn, because most species of butterflies enter an over-wintering dormant phase (a bit like a semi-hibernation).
Sleepy winters are essential for most butterflies and most moths, so as to maintain their body heat. Unlike mammals and birds, butterflies and moths use external heat sources to keep themselves warm. That’s why in the summer you see them sunning themselves. They will even vibrate their flight muscles, causing them to shiver – again to create internal heat.
So it makes sense that as our chilly winter temperatures hit, butterflies and moths need to remain as inactive as possible so as to conserve their body heat. Butterflies will doze into this dormant stage as an egg, larva, pupa or a fully-grown butterfly.
Species which overwinter as dormant adults are: • Brimstone
• Small Tortoiseshell
• Peacock
• Comma
Photo 1: Peacock butterfly on teasel. Lynne Newton. http://lynnenewtonfoxybiddy.zenfolio.com/f1040843696
As late summer/early autumn starts to bed in, you may notice a butterfly appearing in your house, loft, outhouse, porch or shed – they’re eyeing up a suitably cool, sheltered and dry nook in which to rest their wings for a season. Small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies are the only species that choose houses to over winter in.
Photo 2: Small Tortoiseshell. Nick Tomalin
Here’s Where You Come In A great, simple exercise that you and your family can do to help give butterflies a home in your garden this autumn, is to throw them not a butterfly ball, but a banquet! Before they nestle down for the long snooze, they need to store up as much energy as possible – so a sweet sugar hit is the perfect seasonal send-off.All you need to do is pop some bananas outside in your garden... as a mushy banana gradually ferments and oozes in the autumn sunshine, red admiral, painted lady and comma butterflies should make a bee-line to it. When they do, they’re likely to stay for hours and then return day after day to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Photo 3: David Tipling (rspb-images.com). Mashed banana on dish - 'butterfly bar'.
Be aware that wasps and hornets may also visit your fermenting feast, though they will be interested in the banana rather than you. If you get too many, it might be time to compost your squidgy banana! It's really only in autumn that butterflies are likely to take advantage of your feast – so put your most spotty, soft bananas to good use today.
For more info on treating your garden butterflies and to watch a video of black, icky bananas, visit: http://bit.ly/RSPBbutterfly
For more information on how you can give nature a home in Dorset this year, visit here and create your own personalised plan: www.rspb.org.uk/givenatureahome