Friday Fun Fact – Butterfly Senses
Ever wondered about butterfly senses? When you come to the visit us at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, try to get a good look at a butterfly’s head. It’s dominated by two large round eyes and two long antennae with club tips. On a big butterfly like the Cairns Birdwing, you will also be able to […]
Friday Fun Fact – Butterfly Courtship
Butterfly courtship is often very beautiful to watch. The male butterfly shows off his handsome colours – he’s usually very good looking! By following the lady butterfly and mimicking her movements, he’s trying to prove that he’s ‘got the moves’ – that he’s the best flyer around. The final courtship manoeuvre by the male is to […]
Friday Fun Fact – Territorial Butterflies
Did you know? Some species of butterflies can be quite territorial. For example, Common Eggfly butterflies are some of the most territorial butterflies around. They will choose one spot that they consider to be theirs, and chase away any intruders including Cairns Birdwings which are more than twice their size. Walking through the Butterfly Sanctuary, you often […]
Friday Fun Fact – Lemon Migrant Butterflies
We are excited to have beautiful sun-yellow Lemon Migrant butterflies (Catopsilia Pomona) at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary now. They are a vibrant, striking butterfly. Their wing colour can vary from yellow to creamy white, with dark margins. Their caterpillars are a well camouflaged green colour with creamy white lines along each side. The Lemon Migrant […]
Friday Fun Fact – What Do Butterflies Eat?
Ever wondered what do butterflies eat? Firstly, they don’t really eat – not as humans or other animals do, anyway! A butterfly’s mouth part is made up of two lobes, like straws, which are joined together. This means they can only drink liquids. Butterflies spend about 50% of the time looking for food. They are […]
Friday Fun Fact – Monarch Butterflies in Australia
We are proud to say we now have Monarch butterflies in Australia … more specifically, we have Monarch butterflies here at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary! This photo is of the first Monarch butterfly to be bred at the Butterfly Sanctuary … ever! Monarch butterflies are one of the most well-known butterflies in the world. They originated […]
Friday Fun Fact – Caterpillar Pupation
Caterpillar pupation is the life stage when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly or moth. The pupa stage is found only in beetles, butterflies and moths, flies, and wasps, which undergo a complete metamorphosis. They go through four life stages: embryo (egg), larva (child), pupa (pubescence) and imago (adult). The pupa of a butterfly is […]
Friday Fun Fact – Sinai Baton Blue Butterfly
The Sinai Baton Blue Butterfly is the world’s smallest butterfly, no larger than a thumbnail. It is only found on Mt Sinai and a few surrounding peaks. With such a tiny distribution, its survival is at risk from any disturbance to its habitat. Being endemic to Egypt and endangered, it has become an emblem for […]
Friday Fun Fact – Day Flying Moths
Did you know that there are day flying moths? They are also known as diurnal moths, and they don’t just hang around at night! The Zodiac moth, Four O’clock moth, and Joseph’s Coat moth are just a few examples. We are very excited to announce that the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary will be introducing the Joseph’s […]
Friday Fun Fact – Chequered Swallowtail
Introducing the Chequered Swallowtail! This new species is soon to be on display at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. It is unusual in that it doesn’t have a tail tip on its wings, like other members of the swallowtail/Papilio family. They are sometimes migratory in huge flutters and are found all over Australia except for Tasmania. […]