Butterfly effect

The BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Showcasing the fleeting beauty of tropical butterflies since 1985, Melbourne Zoo’s Butterfly House is beloved by members, visitors and staff alike.

WORDS Jo Stewart

Birdwing butterfly

t’s captured the hearts of many members and visitors, but plenty of staff also consider Melbourne Zoo’s Butterfly House a favourite. Ectotherms I Coordinator Kate Pearce’s connection to the Butterfly House goes back decades.

“I remember visiting the Butterfly House with my nanna in 1988. A butterfly toy from the giftshop was my prized possession for years. So I’ve got an emotional attachment to the House. It’s special to me, but I know it’s special to many others too,” says Kate.

Housing up to 15 mostly tropical and subtropical species from Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern New South Wales, the Butterfly House has 500 to 800 butterflies flying daily.

But what does it take to breed and feed that many invertebrates? Turns out, it takes a huge collective effort to keep the space alive with the magic of butterflies.

Supporting the circle of life

“We breed the butterflies year-round, and they all have different requirements. Some butterfly houses buy the pupa (or chrysalis), then allow the butterflies to emerge, but we breed them all. Looking after the caterpillars is a huge undertaking. It’s a big commitment, but also more satisfying to manage the whole process,” Kate explains.

With each species preferring to eat and lay its eggs on different plants, the Zoo’s nursery team work hard to supply the hundreds of potted plants required for each species to breed and survive.

As Nursery Supervisor at Melbourne

Did you know?

Male Cruiser butterflies often land on humans, then urinate to dissolve the salt on our skin before drinking it.

Zoo, Tom Millane manages several large, heated greenhouse spaces as well as some outdoor growing areas.

“Our primary focus is on producing a year-round supply of mainly tropical food plants for the butterflies. We also produce plants to support the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect breeding program,” says Tom.

Eggs are constantly being laid, caterpillars are continually hatching and munching on plants before forming

Build a butterfly- friendly backyard

While you won’t find tropical butterflies in Victoria, you can attract local butterfly species to your backyard by minimising or eliminating the use of chemicals and pesticides in your garden.

Planting a diverse range of native plants will also support the butterfly life cycle. Try adding nectar-feeding plants (like banksia and native daisies) to attract adult butterflies; and host plants (like native grasses and acacias) for butterflies to lay eggs on.

Butterflies can help to pollinate your fruit trees and flowers by collecting pollen on their body and transferring it to other plants in your garden.

“If you wear bright colours, like pink and yellow, they might choose to land on you...”

chrysalis to emerge and then lay eggs.

“We spend 90 per cent of our day growing food plants for invertebrates. We constantly have plants being laid upon and eaten down. Maintaining a year-round supply of tropical plants is challenging in Melbourne’s changeable weather,” explains Tom.

Life in the house

The Butterfly House’s daytime temperature is set to 28 degrees to support the breeding and longevity of the butterflies that can live up to six weeks. Overnight, the temperature is dropped to 22 degrees to signal that it’s time to rest. Each day, fresh pupae are hung up in a cabinet so the public can see them emerging before being released in the afternoon.

With new butterflies emerging each day, how are the population numbers monitored?

“Every four weeks we do a census count. We reduce the temperature to 22 degrees, so the butterflies remain at rest, then use a tally counter to count them,” says Kate.

Members and visitors are typically drawn to the big, bright Cairns Birdwing, but Kate believes all the butterflies are interesting in their own way.

“Lurchers are a beautiful basking butterfly. There’s a vine at the top of the creek. You’ll often see them basking there providing great photo opportunities,” Kate says.

Although they may land nearby, Kate and the team discourage members and visitors from grabbing the butterflies; however, “If you wear bright colours, like pink and yellow, they might choose to land on you.” ZN

fyi

WARM UP

Visit the Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo during winter where it’s always a balmy 28 degrees. Book your free member tickets at zoo.org.au

TAKING FLIGHT

See inside the magical Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo.

Watch it here