This butterfly has just emerged from its chrysalis and is drying its wings on a shelf surrounded by other chrysalids - some already emptied

Tropical Butterflies in Bloom

Remarkable & Rare Exhibitiion Runs Through 

April 9th at Dow Gardens

By Robert E. Martin

          Butterflies are perhaps some of nature’s most evanescent creatures – captivating the eye with vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic patterns, stimulating the imagination as they take flight with fairy wings; but more profoundly touching us as a unique life force as they move through four stages of transformation from the egg to the larva (or caterpillar) to the pupa, finally morphing into a chrysalis.

          Butterflies belong to the large group of insects known as Lepidoptera, which comes from the Greek word and means ‘scaly winged’.  This perfectly suits this group of insects because their wings are covered with thousands of tiny scales overlapping in rows.  The scales, which are arranged in colorful designs unique to each species, are what give the butterfly its beauty and color. Indeed, there are an amazing 125,000 scales per square inch which overlap on these creates, much like shingles on a roof.

          What people do not usually realize is that Butterflies alone are called Papilionoidea, which is the super-family of butterflies. Moreover, some butterflies are marked with patterns that look very much like letters of the alphabet, as well as numerals, so there is much to be fascinated and mesmerized about with these winged creations.

          A unique opportunity to engage and study Tropical Butterflies in Bloom now exists at Dow Gardens and runs through April 19^th from 10 am – 4 pm daily in the Dow Gardens Conservatory, located at 1809 Eastman in Midland.

          Thousands of butterflies literally fly all about you, however this year tropical butterflies from Ecuador and Costa Rica have been brought to the Gardens, affording the opportunity to observe them emerging from chrsyalids, drying their wings, and taking flight.

          Amazingly, a butterflies life span averages from about 2 to 21 days after they emerge from the pupae, but some species modify their nectar diet to include rotten fruit, pollen and animal excrement, which can allow them to live as long as 3 to 6 months, or even up to 11 months.

          As with most species, females generally live longer than males.

          According to Dow Gardens’ Elizabeth Lumbert, this year marks the 12^th season of the Dow Gardens Butterfly Festival. “The butterfly festival brightens the end of winter here in mid-Michigan and ushers spring in early to Dow Gardens. By the time the festival closes in April, the gardens are starting to green up and visitors are enjoying exploring the extensive grounds, as the flowering trees are getting ready to blossom and the 18,000 tulips are coming up.”

          “Hosting a butterfly exhibit requires passing an extensive permitting process with the federal government,” she notes, “making it a fairly rare exhibit to host.”

          When asked about the qualities of this exhibition that distinguish it from past collections featured at the Gardens, Elizabeth points to the fact that past years have featured butterflies native only to North America.

          “This year we are displaying tropical species from Ecuador and Costa Rica. These species include the show-stopping Blue Morpho as well as the giant Owl butterfly. Previous visitors will recall the Julia and Zebra Longwing butterflies, which created a lot of flutter,” she smiles. “This year they are joined by about two dozen other species of longwings, which will create an even more dynamic environment. Overall, visitors will be able to discover around 70 species of butterflies during the festival in the Conservatory.”

          So what are some of the more challenging components about pulling an exhibition of this nature together?

          “Every chrysalis which arrives must be pinned into the emergence case,” explains Elizabeth. “Entomologist Elly Maxwell, along with several volunteers, dedicates a great deal of time to their care. Over the duration of the event they will have pinned thousands of chrysalids. We also must maintain high humidity levels in the Conservatory to make the butterflies comfortable and imitate their native homes. So we coordinate volunteers to be Butterfly Caregivers. Their job is to water the floors, let the butterflies out into the display room, and feed them. Close to 100 volunteers help make this festival possible”

          According to Elizabeth, there is always a volunteer host on hand (typically in a tropical blue t-shirt) in the conservatory to welcome visitors and answer questions they may have.

          “We have a complimentary color brochure this year that works as a ‘field guide’ for the butterflies that visitors will see. These are available at the Visitor Center or in the Conservatory. We always try our best to accommodate groups who would like to pre-arrange having a guide.  Our weekdays are filling up with guided tours that have been requested by school groups, scout troops, and senior citizen homes.”

          Additionally, on Wednesday evenings March 25, April 1, and April 8 & 15, visitors can view the butterflies with artificial lighting and spend ‘Late Nights with Butterflies’.  “The Butterfly House will stay open until 7:30 PM on those nights,” notes Elizabeth, “and our entomologist will be there to answer questions and also let visitors interact with ‘butterfly buddies’ – giant hissing cockroaches and huge African millipedes.”

          Another special date to mark on your calendar is Butterfly Glass Blowing with Tim Drier on Saturday, March 28^th from noon to 4 PM. Visitors can see glass butterflies form right before their eyes as they witness the blown glass artwork of Drier, whom has entertained visitors for years with his firsthand artistry. A limited number of signed and dated glass butterflies will be available for sale.

          Given the delicacy of these creatures – especially the Tropical ones – I’m curious as to how they are moved from venue to venue.

          “The butterflies arrive in their chrysalis form through the mail,” explains Elizabeth. “We received them from butterfly farms. Dow Gardens has gone through an extensive permitting process to be able to receive the shipments and host the exhibit.  The chrysalids are pinned into an emergence case then we wait for the butterflies to emerge. When a butterfly emerges it must pump up its wings, dry them, and also put their proboscis (mouthpart) together. It’s an amazing process to watch them go from being all crumpled up to a free-flying butterfly. The process takes from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the species of the butterfly.”

          When asked her impressions about what she observes not only about the butterflies, but also about what people take away from this exhibition after viewing them, Elizabeth is reflective. “I believe that you take care of most what you have experienced first-hand. When visitors interact with the butterflies – having one land on them, watching a butterfly drink nectar, following a butterfly to get a perfect photo – they tend to want to know more about them.”

          “People really transform around the butterflies. There are a lot of smiles and laughter as people interact with the butterflies, in the warmth of the conservatory.”

          Admission to this exhibition is only $10.00 for an annual pass (which is transferable to family and friends) and $5.00 for adults, $1.00 for students, with kids 5 and up Free.

          For more information go to Dowgardens.org.