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A butterfly house, conservatory, or lepidopterarium is a facility which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of
Live butterfly exhibits became popular in England in the end of the 1970s, appealing to the British love of
Butterfly houses are typically open to the public.
Exploration of such facilities may be with a guide or self-paced. Guided tours may last about fifteen minutes, as the guide points out all the species of butterflies that are in the greenhouse that day. Stocks vary, as new shipments usually arrive weekly. Guides may also show butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalids and identify specific plants that are favored by each species. Usually, the best time to see butterflies emerging from their pupae is between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Butterflies are most active on warm and sunny days with little wind, because they require the heat of the sun to aid in their digestion. On rainy days, they usually hide in the flowers and leaves.
There are often many different species in such butterfly houses, with stock including butterflies from Africa, Malaysia, South America, Thailand,
Visiting Butterfly Houses, Farms and Gardens
{{Zoos Butterflies Insectariums
butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
with an emphasis on education. Some butterfly houses also feature other insects and arthropods. Butterfly houses are owned and operated by museums, universities, non-profit corporations, and private individuals as part of their residence; as well as small businesses that are owner operated.
History
Live butterfly exhibits became popular in England in the end of the 1970s, appealing to the British love of greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
s and natural settings.
The tropical world's first live butterfly and insect sanctuary is Penang Butterfly Farm in Penang, Malaysia, established on March 29, 1986.
The first butterfly house in the United States, Butterfly World, opened in Coconut Creek, Florida, in 1988.
Activities
Butterfly houses are typically open to the public.
Exploration of such facilities may be with a guide or self-paced. Guided tours may last about fifteen minutes, as the guide points out all the species of butterflies that are in the greenhouse that day. Stocks vary, as new shipments usually arrive weekly. Guides may also show butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalids and identify specific plants that are favored by each species. Usually, the best time to see butterflies emerging from their pupae is between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Butterflies are most active on warm and sunny days with little wind, because they require the heat of the sun to aid in their digestion. On rainy days, they usually hide in the flowers and leaves.
There are often many different species in such butterfly houses, with stock including butterflies from Africa, Malaysia, South America, Thailand, Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, the Philippines, and other places. The vibrant colors and patterns on the wings of the insects have earned them the fanciful nickname "flying flowers" .
Many species of adult butterflies live only one to two weeks, during which time they must produce a new generation. Some species, such as the familiar monarch butterfly, however, can live as long as six months or even longer in the wild.
Schools have butterfly houses for educational purposes. In Puerto Rico, a group of students from the Clara Maldonado de Aramburu School in Juncos
Juncos (, ) is a town and one of the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico. It is located in the eastern central region of the island to the west of the Caguas Valley, south of Canóvanas and Carolina; southeast of Gurabo; east of San Lorenzo; and ...
, celebrated the relaunching of its butterfly house which had been destroyed by Hurricane Maria on September 19, 2017. With help from community members, the butterfly houses and ecosystem was fixed, and their monarch butterflies took flight in March 2019.
See also
*List of butterfly houses
This is a list of butterfly houses or conservatories around the world. For Public aquarium, aquaria, see List of aquaria. For dolphinariums, see List of dolphinariums. For a list of zoos, see List of zoos. For an annotated list of defunct zoos and ...
* List of insectariums
References
External links
Visiting Butterfly Houses, Farms and Gardens
{{Zoos Butterflies Insectariums