SOARing with the butterflies

After I'd run down most of the topiary displays at South Coast Botanic Garden I checked in at the tropical butterfly exhibit, officially known as SOAR.  It was uncrowded when I entered just before 10am and I didn't tarry long in the exterior area.

To provide interested visitors with guidance about how to create a butterfly garden, SCBG has planted the exterior area with foliage that feeds caterpillars as well as flowers that provide nectar for butterflies

I neglected to take a photo of the butterfly enclosure on this visit but I managed to dig up a photo of the structure I'd taken in February.

The exterior area was replanted before SOAR reopened in April.  You can find a partial list of plants here.

I spent enough time within the enclosure to be reasonably sure I caught photos of the butterflies (and one moth) that were active that morning.  I've identified them to the best of my ability based mainly on online sources.

This is the giant owl butterfly (Caligo memnon).  They're known for the large spots on their wings thought to resemble an owl's eyes.

You probably recognize the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

This was the only gray cracker butterfly (Hamadryas februa) I saw this year.  It had seen better days.

The zebra longwings (Heliconian charitonius) were perhaps the largest group flitting about and they seemed to be more prone to hanging out as a group than other species.  This is Florida's state butterfly.

My best guess is that this is one of the so-called postman butterflies, possibly Heliconius melpomene

This one (Idea leuconae) has a host of common names including the paper kite butterfly, the rice paper butterfly and the large tree nymph

There were a lot of blue morpho butterflies (Morpho peleides) in the enclosure too but most were in resting postures with their wings closed.  The one on the upper right had a clipped wing that revealed its blue color and I caught one (lower right) in the process of closing its wings.

I managed only a few shots showing the Morpho's wings wide open.  You had to be very careful when walking in the enclosure as many of the butterflies rested along the paths.

This is a giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), reportedly the largest butterfly in North America

This is actually a nocturnal silk moth (Rothschildia lebeau).  A volunteer told me that it sleeps with its wings wide open and has a life span of just 5 days.

The range of the rusty tipped page (Siproeta epaphus) includes southern Texas, as well as South America

This one (Siproeta stelenes) is commonly known as the malachite butterfly due to the similarity between the color of mineral malachite and the green of its wings

I enjoyed my visit, although  I wish SCBG provided a list of the butterflies within the enclosure for reference.  When I asked one of the volunteers if they had such a list I was told that the butterflies in residence were hard to track as the population changes regularly.  I can appreciate that; however, I remember an east coast exhibit I visited years ago managed by posting a board with photo IDs they could add or delete as appropriate.

I was concerned to see several plants showing severe infestations of mealy bugs inside the enclosure.  To my knowledge, mealy bugs can't hurt butterflies but I expect they eventually damage the plants the butterflies rely on for nectar.  And, if nothing else, they're ugly.

A large number of the zebra longwings were clustered on a sad-looking Lavatera (left).  Some of the butterfly bushes (Buddleia, right) were also affected.  Butterflies on those shrubs didn't make great photographic subjects.  I know SCBG practices integrated pest management but a butterfly exhibit isn't the usual garden setting so it may require a different kind of treatment.  I mentioned the infestations to a volunteer and got a shrug.

My biggest concern had nothing to do with SCBG's management of the exhibit.  As a couple of groups of small children entered with parents and grandparents, I noticed that many of the kids were more alarmed by the butterflies flitting about than captivated by their magic.  What's with that?  It brought to mind a Garden Rant post I read recently, bemoaning the fact that many children now have greater exposure to technology than to nature.  My experience obviously represented a tiny sampling but it made me think that there may be something to the so-called "nature deficit disorder."  The good news is that the prescription is more first-hand exposure to gardens, insects and animals.  SOAR runs through the end of July.

That's it from me this week.  Best wishes for a happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party