52High and low
Most predators won’t
touch the poisonous
monarch butterfly.
You’ll find it in the
lowlands as well as
on mountaintops.Greasy wings
The small apollo butterfly has a
special survival feature for life
in the mountains. It has greasy
wings, which means that
it can survive freezing
weather and sudden
snow flurries.Look for the
small apollo on
high mountains in
Europe and Asia.Black spots trap
the Sun’s heat.Thick hairs keep
the insect warm.In the
mountains
Walk through a mountain meadow
in the summer, and you’ll find it alive
with butterflies and moths. However,
mountain weather changes quickly.
Dark clouds, snow flurries, and high
winds can come in minutes, and
insects in the mountains have to
work hard to adapt to these sudden
weather changes.
US_052-053_In_the_mountains.indd 52 11/10/17 3:34 pm