Behind the Scenes at Butterflies LIVE! — The Emergence Room
by Annie Raup, Assistant Butterfly Curator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
A question that the Butterflies LIVE! staff gets asked a lot is, “Where do the butterflies come from?” That’s a great question, since most of the butterflies in the exhibit are tropical. Here’s the answer….
Each Friday, we receive butterfly chrysalids from our supplier.
We purchase butterflies from brokers who obtain their insects from various sources, including butterfly farms.
To prepare the butterflies for emergence, we attach the rear of the chrysalis, called the cremaster, to a small sheet of paper, which is then glued to the lid of a box.
We check twice a day to see if butterflies have emerged.
You can see the wings of a Great Orange Tip (Hebomoia glaucippe) inside its chrysalis. It will be emerging soon!
But you better visit us soon — Butterflies LIVE! closes in 2 weeks!