Summer Bonanza

In the last month, we've imported 45 species of butterfly and moths which are all emerging right now.  On top of this, our numbers of Blue Morphos, Zebras and postmen butterflies are increasing daily giving us one of our best displays ever. Other gems to be seen are Nessaea with its electric blue bars on its wings, the Orchard Swallowtail, a giant in the family rarely seen in butterfly houses and the King Page, a stately black and yellow swallowtail.  We have also 17 of these butterfly species breeding on site in one form or the other.

Outside, the Ensete bananas and other tropicals are finally kicking after languishing for weeks in the cold summer nights.  The Buddlejas are at their zenith with a giant B. lochinch weighed down by its heavy fragrant blooms.   The garden butterflies are only just appearing with the odd Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Peacock.  No signs of the local Purple Hairstreak yet which live on the neighbouring oak trees.  I'll keep you posted when I spot one.

Lots of things to see this summer ..

Now that we've been open four months, our own butterfly breeding programme coming into full flow, helping to boost the numbers that we import.  Our first Blue Morphos are emerging this week. The Postman, small postman, zebra and Ismenius longwings are all busy eating down our Passion vines.  Also on the way are dozens of Owl caterpillars and a few of the Purple Mort Bleu butterfly (Eryphanis).

We have four species of moths out this week - an impressive male Comet moth, several of our own Indian moon moths, two giant atlas moths that are currently pairing and a new species called the Senagalese Emperor Moth.  We also have the strange Brahmea moth caterpillars with their twisted, wiry outgrowths and one of the fastest growing caterpillars we ever display. 

We are currently making a CITES application to import some Golden Birdwing pupae (Troides rhadamantus) from the Philippines.  These are huge black and yellow butterflies that are rarely seen in displays.