tropical butterfly house

OBSERVERS’ GUIDE

Spot our most frequent butterfly visitors. Sometimes we display butterflies that are not on the guide. See if you can find one.

All of our butterflies come

Brushfoot butterfliesFamily Nymphalidae from sustainable Like other insects, butterflies in this family have six legs. farms around But you can only see four of them. Their front legs, which the world. detect smell, are tiny and held hidden against the body.

Prepona omphale Parthenos sylvia Region of Origin Blue Belly-Button Clipper • • Central or South America (inside & outer wings) • • Southeast Asia

Catonephele numilia Hamadryas laodamia Numilia • Starry Night • (male & female) (male & female)

All images are one half actual size.

1 cm

Hamadryas februa Hamadryas amphinome Hamadryas feronia Gray Calico • Red Calico • Variable Calico •

Not every butterfly is listed here. Can you Hypolimnas bolina Myscelia ethusa Anartia amathea spot one that is not Blue Moon • Royal Blue • Scarlet Peacock • on the guide?

Butterfly Life Cycle Adult butterflies live anywhere from a few days to several months depending on species. But that Larva (caterpillar) is not their whole lifespan. First they spend several Egg weeks or longer as caterpillars and chrysalis — in cold climates, they may spend the whole winter as a caterpillar or chrysalis, waiting for spring. (Lacewing life cycle shown left) Pupa (chrysalis) in Butterfly House Adult (butterfly) emerging window in Butterfly House

Please leave this guide at the exit for others to enjoy. Morpho and Owl Butterflies Swallowtail butterflies Morphidae and Brassolidae Family Papilionidae Look for these large butterflies on our fruit dishes Some of these have tails on their wings, some or chasing each other through the trees. Most don’t but their profiles are still quite distinctive. have eye spots, some have brilliant inner wings.

Papilio thoas King Swallowtail •

Eurytides epidaus Morpho peleides Long Tailed Common Blue Morpho • Kite Swallowtail • (inside & outer wings)

Battus belus Belus Gold Rim • Morpho polyphemus White Morpho • Papilio erostratus Dusky Swallowtail •

Longwing butterflies Heliconiinae These butterflies get protein by eating pollen. This gives them a longer lifespan than most other butterflies.

Heliconius melpomene Large Postman • Caligo memnon (Suriname & Costa Rica) Owl Butterfly• (inside & outer wings)

Milkweed butterflies Danaidae Caterpillars of this group eat plants that are nasty Heliconius hecale tasting to most other animals. The chemicals in Golden Helicon • the plants are also in the butterflies’ bodies and make them unpleasant for predators. Cethosia cyane Leopard Lacewing •

Dryas julia Julia •

Vindula dejone Cruiser • Idea leuconoe Lycorea cleobaea Heliconius ismenius Paper Kite • Tiger Mimic • Tiger Longwing •

Please leave this guide at the exit for others to enjoy.