The Butterfly House Still Flutters

Zebra Longwing

The Butterfly House Still Flutters
by Chris García-Hellmuth, Butterfly Coordinator, Butterfly Pavilion, The Gardens on Spring Creek Butterfly House

At a glance, the diet of a butterfly is simple: nectar. Whether the nectar is from fruit or flowers does not matter to the butterfly as long as it gets the sugar it needs to fly. In the Butterfly House at The Gardens on Spring Creek, you will find flowers of all kind to provide nectar for the butterflies. In addition to the flowers, Butterfly Pavilion staff members provide artificial nectar and fruit mixtures to ensure all butterflies have an abundance of nutrients in order to thrive.

Most butterflies have an adult lifespan of two to four weeks, due to their simple nectar diet. The Gardens on Spring Creek receives regular shipments from butterfly farms to keep the Butterfly House fluttering with an average of 300 North American butterflies. While The Gardens and the Butterfly House have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these shipments have been paused and will continue once the facility reopens.

However, even several weeks after closure, there are still a few fliers in the Butterfly House. Longwing butterflies are a group of butterflies that can live significantly longer than most others, up to eight months. This longer lifespan is due to the fact that longwings are specifically designed to take in flower pollen, in addition to nectar.

Flower nectar is interesting because each flower contains specific compositions of amino acids. Most butterflies use these amino acids for energy to fly from flower to flower. Others, like the famous migrating monarchs, use them to build up lipids to make their long journey. Longwing butterflies seek out the specific flowers with nectar that will allow them to absorb the most pollen possible. In the Butterfly House, there is one specific plant that provides exactly what longwing butterflies need, the psiguria vine. Longwing species, like the zebra longwing, the Julia longwing, and Isabella longwing, love to nectar from this plant to get the pollen that they need for a long life.

Tropical Cucumber Vine (Psiguria tabascensis)

Butterfly Pavilion staff worked with The Gardens team to bring in this specific vine and trellis – as well as many other butterfly favorites – to help the longwings thrive.

The Gardens on Spring Creek is working with City of Fort Collins officials and Butterfly Pavilion staff to determine a plan for reopening the Butterfly House. The longwings look forward to welcoming you back!

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