The speckled wood can cope with more shade than any other British butterfly and its dark colour helps it absorb heat too. Most other butterflies prefer open sunny areas, rather than woodland. Groups of butterflies often gather around a wet place, such as a lake or puddle to extract nutrients from the mud and water - this is known as puddling and they do it because they can't get the minerals they need from honeydew and nectar. They don't waste their energy supplies and can often be seen resting between flights with their wings held still. Butterflies roost for about 14 hours each day, usually upside down and often on the underside of leaves.
Some species roost on grass stems.
They roost overnight and in bad weather.