Get to know the Winter Butterfly

It is well known that insects are cold-blooded and are not active in wintertime. Cold-blooded means that their body cannot produce heat by itself, as mammals do. Insects need sunlight to absorb some heat and enable their activity. For this reason, we rarely see insects during wintertime. 

Generally, this rule of nature works. However, there are always exceptions. One of them is the False Apollo butterfly (Tzivoni Shakuf in Hebrew). This beautiful creature has colorful rear wings, and surprisingly, its front wings are almost transparent. No other butterfly in Israel has transparent-like wings except the Apollo. 

As a winter insect here in Israel, you can spot it beginning in November and until April. Our country has many sunny days, even in the winter, and the False Apollo butterfly likes to rest on the ground with its wings spread open as it tries to absorb as many sun rays as possible. This will allow it to be active since it, too, is cold-blooded as all other insects. 

In the early stage of its life as a caterpillar, it feeds on a poisonous plant that makes this caterpillar and later the adult butterfly poisonous. Protected by the poison, it feels fairly safe from predators and does not fly away instantly like other edible butterflies.

On the verge of spring, now is a good time to venture out and enjoy the False Apollo butterfly as well as the colorful blossoms that are beginning to emerge.