What Happens to the Butterflies at Krohn Conservatory When the Show is Over?

On Monday morning after the last day of the show, all butterflies are caught using nets. They are then identified, recorded, and placed into envelopes made of glassine paper; this material ensures the scales are not rubbed off of the butterflies' wings during transit. The wings are folded together so the butterflies are lying flat and are unable to flap their wings inside the envelope, preventing them from being damaged during transit.

Once all of the butterflies have been caught and placed in envelopes, they are sorted into two boxes, one bound for a botanical garden in Florida and the other for one in Missouri. Cold packs are placed in the boxes to slow the butterflies' metabolism and reduce their activity; being ectotherms, their activity level is dependent on the temperature of their environment, similar to fish and reptiles.

The butterflies are then shipped to the two botanical gardens, where they will arrive the following day. There, they will be released into the conservatories for butterfly shows similar to ours, happily living out the rest of their lives well fed, free from the threat of predators, and surrounded by other butterflies. 

Written by Abigail Horton