Hibernating Mourning Cloak

Description:

One of the very few species of butterfly that can hibernate winters (the only one I know of.) The hibernating state is quite strange, it appears to not move at all. The antennae are tucked back between the wings. The camouflage of this butterfly is amazing. At first I just thought it was a leaf. This is also most likely the oldest living butterfly species in North America. Once winter is over, the over wintered butterflies come out and mate. One to two generations is common, but more than that is very rare.

Habitat:

This guy was found under a small piece of tree trunk. It looks like it was almost hollowed out somehow.

Notes:

I've been looking for a hibernating Mourning Cloak for literally months and this find was super exciting for me. Not exactly sure what it was doing will the hairs on it's body, but they were all standing up straight. This butterfly was returned to where it was found so it can fly again this spring. Which it happens to the the first day of here in the Northern Hemisphere. Nothing like starting off the spring/summer season with a great find like this.