Where Do Butterflies Go in the Winter?

11 February 2025

The mourning cloak spends the winter in hibernation as an adult, so it’s usually one of the last butterflies seen in the fall and one of the first seen in the spring! NICK CARTER

By Nick Carter

"Where do butterflies go in the winter?"

While a few species migrate out of Alberta when the seasons change, most of our butterflies live here all year round! Different types of butterflies wait out the winter in different stages of their life cycle. Some spend the winter as tiny eggs, laid in a safe spot. Others hibernate as caterpillars, tucking in for the winter under dead leaves or old logs. Some spend the winter in their pupa stage, and during the cold winter days the caterpillar inside slowly changes into its adult form. A few species are actually full-grown adult butterflies by the time winter comes around, and spend the cold months hibernating, often under tree bark. These include common types like the mourning cloak and Milbert’s tortoiseshell. In the springtime, these adult butterflies that were born the summer before come out to lay eggs and start the cycle all over again. Sometimes, on warm winter days, these butterflies will wake up thinking it’s spring, and can be seen flying around!