Swallowtails already! Still blaming El Nino. But as for them sitting on the ground, a lot of butterflies do that when it's cold. I think it's a combination of the warmth from the ground and them holding their wings open to bask in the sun. A lot of the time when it's cold I'll stalk around MOSI and purposefully keep my eyes on the ground to see who I can scare up. And in the flight cage, I'm constantly chasing them off the concrete floor which I know is warm. I'm always chiding them, "That's how you get stepped on!" And then I have to warn the guests to keep their eyes on where they step. Some species are worse to do it than others. The Malachites do it a lot, but at least they're green so they stand out a bit! I see Gulf Fritillaries on the grass in my yard a lot, too.
