Should butterflies be around in December?

We often say that butterflies hibernate during the colder months, although this isn't strictly true; actually, they enter a period of dormancy, although the effect of sleeping through winter is the same. They can do this in several ways: as an egg, larva, chrysalis or in adult form, dependent on species.

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Are my butterflies dead?

Pupa of different species also have different colorations. If your chrysalis remains black and your butterfly does not emerge, very gently bend it. If it remains bent, it is likely dead and you should discard it to prevent disease from spreading to the other caterpillars. Is this caterpillar dead? It's easy to think that your caterpillar has died, when actually it's only turned into a still, brown pupa. Inside, it's very much alive, and all of its cells are rearranging themselves into a completely different-looking kind of insect-a full-grown butterfly or moth. Don't give up, and don't throw it away.