It sounds like a dream鈥攁 thousand iridescent butterflies fluttering around in a glass atrium鈥攂ut this month you can experience it for real at the . Starting today, the Butterfly House鈥檚 one thousand Blue Morpho butterflies will begin hatching from their chrysalises and living out their two to three week adult stage among the House鈥檚 other insects and tropical flora.At five to eight inches, Blue Morphos are one of the largest butterflies in the world. They鈥檙e native to forests along the Amazon River and in parts of Central America. The Museum of Life and Science has been receiving shipments of Blue Morpho chrysalises from small farms in Costa Rica for a couple weeks. Butterfly House Director Ulrich Hartmond says that this is a large part of the mission of the museum.
鈥淔or many of the farms with which we work, butterfly breeding represents a significant source of steady income and dramatically increases the ecological awareness of the local population,鈥� Hartmond said in a statement released by The Museum. Hartmond said that purchasing pupae from farms practicing sustainable methods ensures the further conservation of these butterfly farms.
The Blue Morpho butterfly exhibit is open July 1-31 and is included in the price of regular admission to the Museum of Life and Science.
