Passing the time

Moving some boxes in the garage today I found this hibernating Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. The closed wings ensure that it is not given away by the bright colours on the upper surface, but what amazing depth of colour is to be found on the underside. It was returned to the same dark corner, still immobile, but given the unexpected mild weather this weekend I would not be surprised to see it fluttering around the door tomorrow. It would probably go back into diapause once the colder conditions return, but such fluctuating temperature can be a real problem for many indects that ideally need a constant deep sleep to get through the winter in good condition.