What do butterflies do to survive when it rains?

QUESTION: What do butterflies do to survive when it rains?

Unlike bees and wasps, which can cope with gentle drizzle, butterflies are quick to seek shelter when rain is in the air. They hide away, usually under leaves and branches or by clinging onto long grass, because a single raindrop weighing 0.001 ounces is about a tenth of a butterfly's weight and comparable to an average-sized person having something twice the weight of a ten-pin bowling ball dropped on them at 20mph.

A butterfly struck by a raindrop may be forced to make an emergency landing in territory where predators are lurking and find it hard to quickly regain the warmth needed to fly away.

These creatures do, however, possess some defence mechanisms against rain. They have scales on their wings which can repel water, and they can fold their wings more tightly together for extra protection.

Generally, though, they are happiest in dry, warm conditions, exposing their wings to direct sunlight and avoiding windy weather, which buffets them around. By choice, they will stop flying when bad weather threatens and wait until rain and wind subside before venturing out in search of food again.

Ian MacDonald, Billericay, Essex

QUESTION: Was the Citroen Axel a Romanian-designed car?

The Citroen Axel was designed by Citroen but produced in Romania.

Following the 1973 oil crisis, French car maker Citroen identified the Eastern Bloc as a potential new market, and Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was seen as the most Western-friendly leader.

An agreement was reached in December 1976 that Citroen would provide the design and technology, and finance a brand new, state-of-the-art factory at Craiova in the Oltenia region of Romania.

In return, Citroen was granted access to sales throughout the Comecon countries. Comecon was the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, an economic organisation of communist countries during the Cold War.

For Romania's proposed 'people's car', Citroen dusted off the previously shelved Projet TA, although its five-door body was changed to a simpler three-door, and it was given a higher ride height to cope with Romania's bumpy roads.

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Under the agreement, the vehicles were to be sold as the Oltcit Club in Romania and the Citroen Axel in France and Western Europe. The Oltcit name was a portmanteau of the region Oltenia and Citroen and its logo was a chevron within an 'o'.

Citroen's relationship with Romania wasn't a happy one. Although the factory was completed in 1980, it took until 1983 before the first cars rolled off the production line, by which time the design was almost a decade old.

While the Oltcit had a decent finish, it was unreliable and hard to get replacement parts. Citroen pulled out of the venture after the Ceausescu regime collapsed in 1989.

The now-independent company was renamed Oltena but in 1994 it entered into a new partnership with South Korean carmaker Daewoo and became Rodae (Romanian Daewoo), to sell Oltena cars and import Daewoo vehicles.

The old Citroen design finally disappeared in 1996, replaced byDaewoo models.

Ford now owns the Craiova factory and builds vehicles including the Transit Courier there.

Eric Morgan, Bedford

QUESTION: Where is the world's oldest Masonic lodge?

A Masonic lodge is a place where Freemasons gather to conduct their meetings, rituals and ceremonies. These activities involve moral and philosophical teachings, symbolic practices and the promotion of principles such as brotherhood, charity and truth.

Freemasonry is thought to have evolved from the stonemasonry guilds of the Middle Ages.

With records dating back to 1599, the world's oldest Masonic lodge that is still in existence today is the Lodge of Edinburgh No. 1, also known as Mary's Chapel, on the city's Hill Street.

The world's oldest Grand Lodge — the governing body that oversees and regulates all the individual lodges within a specific region or jurisdiction — is the United Grand Lodge of England, established in London on June 24, 1717.

It was formed by members of the four existing Masonic lodges in London, Lodges 1-4. Three of the original lodges still exist: they are now known as the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2, Fortitude and Old Cumberland Lodge No. 12 (originally No. 3), and Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge No. 4.

S. W. Martin, London SE7