Question Mark questions

I saw several Question Marks on my walk, and they were all looking the worse for wear. What have they been doing all winter?

April 3, 2015 Caddo Trail

Pulled out one of my favorite butterfly books, The Life Cycles of Butterflies, by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards.  By the way, it's a very family friendly book. Turns out:

Question Marks emerge from their chrysalises in the fall and spend the winter as inactive adults, hiding in woodpiles or under loose tree bark until spring. 

November 3, 2013 Rowlett Creek Trail

I know plenty of inactive adults who wouldn't mind this lifestyle if they could check out library books. Question Marks perch "head down on the side of a tree trunk", which would be difficult for the inactive adults I know.

What does a Question Mark look like on a good day, after a mani-pedi?

These photos were taken on the Spring Creek Trail in Richardson (trail parking at 75 & Renner) April 10, 2012. The Question Marks look much fresher, so they must be a new generation:

  

 © 2014-2015 Nancy L. Ruder