Where do Butterflies sleep?

To go to sleep, butterflies look for a safe place like the underside of a leaf or a branch, for example. Most butterflies sleep alone, but there are also species sleeping in groups. Poisonous butterflies have a particular smell that may protect them when they sleep together. They tend to sleep in the same place because because a predator who attacked a poisonous butterfly one time won’t do this again. There is only a limited number of predators in an area so there is only a limited number to “educate” if the sleeping place stays the same. One species from Costa Rica whose scientific name is marpesia berania sleeps in groups on a leaf. If one butterfly of the group is disturbed, it opens its wings and touches its neighbors. Being touched, they open their wings as well and so the whole group is informed about the danger and can escape together. (see Marpeasia corinna/Marpesia Marcella.)

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