Tropical butterflies – Special exhibition

Saturday, 19 December, 2009 until
Sunday, 28 March, 2010

Experience live exotic butterflies
in the aquatic plants greenhouse number 4 of our glasshouse complex.

Admission charges: regular € 5, concessions € 3

Miraculous transformation

Caterpillar and butterfly – they seem to be two totally different creatures and yet – they are one organism. You can experience live the miraculous metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and finally to the brilliantly coloured butterfly in the Munich Botanical Garden.

This year it is our 13^th exhibition of live exotic butterflies with over 400 different types of butterflies thriving in a warm and humid tropical rain forest environment. After a long journey from butterfly farms in South-East Asia and Latin America, they are delivered directly to us in their chrysalis stage emerging as adult butterflies only a few days later. There are numerous types to admire but the Blue Morpho is the undisputed star of the exhibition. When resting only the brown velvety underside of its wings can be seen, decorated with a series of eyespots (ocelli). However, as soon as it launches into flight the upper side of its wings shows off their iridescent almost unnatural blue splendour.

Other very attractive butterflies are the Papilio with its elegant swallowtails, the graceful Heliconius and the palm-sized Owl Butterfly (Caligo eurilochus, see picture on the right) and which, when in flight, some visitor prefer to give a wide berth. Look carefully and you will quickly detect the matching caterpillars. They feast ravenously on the foliage of the specially grown forage plants. Our staff will gladly help you to find the mostly well-camouflaged caterpillars.

The exhibition runs from 19 December, 2009 until 28 March, 2010 (excluding Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve) and is open to visitors from 9 am to 4 pm (in February and March until 4.30 pm).

The admission charge for the Botanical Garden including the exhibition is 5 Euro for adults and 3 Euro reduced. Free admission for children under 12 (if accompanied by an adult). Young people under 18 are admitted at a reduced charge.

Butterfly photographs

Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) from Central America

Chinese Peacock (Papilio bianor) from South-East Asia

Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) from Central America

Paper Kite or Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe) from South-East Asia

Tiger Longwing (Heliconius hecale) from Central America

Text: Andreas Gröger, Munich Botanical Garden
Translated by: Beate Warcholik, BW Translations
Photographs: Munich Botanical Garden