For the monarch and other butterflies this is not a trivial matter. An average monarch weighs roughly milligrams; large raindrops have a mass of 70 milligrams or more. A raindrop this size striking a monarch would be equivalent to you or I being pelted by water balloons with twice the mass of bowling balls. Amateur and professional lepidopterists tell tales of butterflies darting into protective vegetation and scrambling beneath leaves when dark skies, strong breezes and the first raindrops signal an imminent storm.
During heavy rains and wind, butterflies are rarely seen. Not only does rain pose a direct threat of injury or death, but the cool air associated with storms may also reduce temperatures below the thermal threshold for butterfly flight.
In preparation for flight, these aerial acrobats expose their wings to direct sunlight, which rapidly warms their flight muscles. Overcast skies limit their ability to gather the solar radiation needed to take wing.
A butterfly knocked from the air by raindrops thus faces the double threat of crashing in an inhospitable habitat where predators lay in wait and being unable to warm its body sufficiently to regain flight. Little wonder, then, that when skies darken, butterflies seek shelter in their nighttime homes.
Butterflies are quiescent when it is dark and take refuge in protected locations called roosts within one or two hours of sunset. Roosts may be tall grasses, perennial herbaceous plants, tangled thickets of woody shrubs, undersides of large leaves, caves or, in some cases, man-made objects such as fences or hanging baskets.
Butterflies may also roost in the vegetation beneath overhanging trees. The butterfly can, however, live. If the butterfly is female and has already mated, she might even lay eggs, which you can raise when they hatch.
An entomologist with access to laboratory materials and delicate tools might be able to fix a butterfly's wing, possibly even enough for the butterfly to fly. If you are determined to help the butterfly, simply catch her and take her inside. Catch her by placing a glass over the top and sliding a piece of paper underneath.
Turn it over slowly so the paper is now on top and take the assembly inside. Put the glass somewhere out of direct sunlight. Swap the paper for a piece of kitchen towel or even unscented toilet tissue, and secure it with an elastic band -- you need to keep the butterfly contained while you set up suitable housing.
The butterfly needs accommodation that contain things to climb up that don't allow too far of a fall. The simplest option would be a cardboard box with muslin secured over the top with a large elastic band. A large plastic storage box, ideally a transparent one, again with muslin over the top, is another option. Add a couple of twigs for the butterfly to climb up and perch on. The leaves of these trees intercept raindrops and reduce the impact on the butterflies below. Rain is a threat to butterflies for multiple reasons.
Most butterflies need a body temperature of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit to fly. If they tried to fly when it is colder they would be very weak and most likely fall to the ground. Butterflies are also much smaller than you and me. An average monarch weighs roughly milligrams and large raindrops have a mass of 70 milligrams or more.
According to Scientific American, a raindrop this size striking a monarch would be equivalent to a human being pelted with water balloons weighing as much as two bowling balls. If a butterfly does get wet, it simply stays still until the water evaporates off their body.
Butterflies often bask in the sun to dry their wings.
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