Do butterflies have a brain?
Our butterfly guide, Robin, has often been asked “do butterflies have a brain?” This is a very good illustration on the internal organs … and what do you know, they do have a brain! Insect anatomy scheme A– Head B– Thorax C– Abdomen antenna ocelli (lower) ocelli (upper) compound eye brain (cerebral ganglia) prothorax dorsal artery […]
Orange Migrant Caterpillars
Here in the sanctuary, we have around 70 Orange Migrant caterpillars that should pupate in the next week. 2 to 3 weeks after pupation, they will emerge … just before Christmas! Merry Christmas to us! Source: Caterpillar photos: Australian Butterfly Sanctuary Butterfly photo: http://butterflycircle.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/life-history-of-orange-emigrant.html
New Aviary sign
We’ve had so many new butterflies in the aviary recently, we needed to make a new aviary sign! Keep an eye out for it next time you visit – it will help you identify some of our new species that are flying around the aviary. Remember, some of our butterflies are seasonal so you may […]
Euodia Seedlings at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
As you may have heard, the numbers of wild Ulysses Butterflies have dropped significantly in the last 12 months, and there has been a complete loss of the species in butterfly exhibits around the country, including our sanctuary. As you can imagine, this has prompted concern for the ongoing survival of the species. However, there is […]
Caterpillars as food?!
I have often joked that if food gets scarce, we may have to resort to eating caterpillars and now there are serious scientists saying the same thing! Eating insects may not seem appetizing, but John Coupland, PhD, CFS, Professor of Food Science at Penn State University and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), […]
A guaranteed smile awaits at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
It is no secret that these delicate, winged creatures are uplifting. It’s a thrill to see an emerald and sun-yellow Cairns Birdwing and the Blue Triangle will simply take your breath away. Because of their mood enhancing effect, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary was featured by Bupa Dental Insurance as one of the top places to […]
Friday Fun Fact – 24 fun facts about butterflies!
Instead of one big fact this week, we thought we’d share 24 little facts about butterflies with you, courtesy of The Butterfly Site! Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches. Butterflies can see red, green, and yellow. Some people say that when the black bands on […]
Ulysses Butterfly Decline
As you may have heard, we’re currently experiencing a complete loss of Ulysses Butterflies in our sanctuary and a significant decline in numbers in the wild. You can read more about it here. We wanted to share a bit more information with you about the situation, including what we have been doing to date. What’s […]
Caper White Butterfly Migration
The Caper White Butterfly migration is on again! Every 6 to 10 years, South East Queensland and Brisbane have a huge influx of Caper White butterflies. They migrate east, over the Great Dividing Range looking for food plant to lay their eggs. There is no simple answer as to why this happens. It could be […]
New Butterfly Feeders
We have new butterfly feeders! After 29 years, our original feeders are starting to wear out and the product is no longer available. Additionally, some of our new species only have short proboscis that couldn’t reach the nectar through the old feeder lids. Tina, our Lab Supervisor, has designed new feeders that have different colours. […]