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Time Ran Out With names like Scarlet Mormon, Zebra Longwing, Postman, Blue Morpho and Owl you get to see something a bit different than the familiar butterflies of the southwest. Certainly there's nothing wrong with the black and blue pipevine or yellow and black giant swallowtails that flutter through many a Tucson garden. But there's nothing quite as surprising as watching a large Blue Morpho suddenly spread its wings or take flight to show the iridescent blue color of its wing tops.
Another attraction was the sheer number of butterflies available for viewing. They seemed to be everywhere in the exhibit whether napping on a greenhouse wall, fluttering near the ceiling, feeding or resting on the shoulder of an exhibit visitor. A high humidity and temperature was maintained in the greenhouse to support the environment for the tropical butterflies. For those that liked hot, moist climates a slow prolonged stroll through the exhibit was enjoyable. Other visitors might have found the climate a bit stifling and were anxious for a bit of the dry, Tucson air by the time they passed through the greenhouse and exited at the gardens' citrus grove, butterfly emergence room and gift kiosk.
Just outside the greenhouse and butterfly exhibit was the Emergence Room where the imported pupa (resting stage for the larvae) miraculously transformed into butterflies. Some of the pupae chrysalis colors and structure were as fascinating as the butterflies themselves. The Emergence Room was where the exhibit's butterflies had a chance to develop from the chrysalis and were then transferred to the greenhouse for display. Since the lifespan of a mature butterfly was pretty short, only one or two weeks, visitors noticed many of the butterflies in the exhibit had tattered wings. There were always a few lifeless forms on the greenhouse floor. Without natural predators, a controlled environment, and plenty of food the greenhouse butterflies lived a good life while they displayed their fascinating attributes to the admiring public. (If you would like to see photographs of a native butterfly, the Gulf Fritillary, from egg to pupae check Insects & Pests.) Butterfly Magic ran through February 26, 2006. The butterflies are gone now and you'll have to hope the Botanical Gardens bring the butterflies back again next year. (2006) |
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