Sex Determination of Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Pupae
Birdwing Butterfly | Laboratory Methods | Population Dynamics | Captive Breeding | Sex Determination The Cairns Birdwing (Ornithoptera euphorion) is one of the most celebrated butterfly species in the world. With an average wingspan of 16cm, it counts as the largest butterfly species in Australia and indeed, in Far North Queensland. Since opening our doors […]
Colourful months ahead of us
How rainy was this April’s weather? Quite annoying was it for us human beings dealing with flooded roads and the noise of constant raindrops on our houses’ roof. However, due to the latest weather conditions being wetter than previous years – we can expect colourful months ahead of us. In particular, up here in North […]
8 Differences Between Butterflies and Moths
What are the differences between butterflies and moths? Although both of these fluttering insects come under the classification Lepidoptera, they possess many differences that classify them as a butterfly or a moth. Spotted a flying beauty and not sure whether it’s a butterfly or a moth? These 8 differences between butterflies and moths will have […]
Quiz: What Butterfly Are You?
What butterfly are you? It doesn’t get much more majestic than butterflies! But have you ever wondered which of these beautiful fluttering insects best represents you? Take our quiz to find our what butterfly you are! Ready to meet your butterfly counterpart in the flesh? Book a visit to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary!
Chequered Swallowtail Butterfly: 5 Amazing Facts
The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary has recently welcomed back the Chequered Swallowtail Butterfly! Scientifically known as Papilio demoleus, this intricately-patterned cream and black butterfly is widespread throughout Australia. To celebrate our newest arrival, we’ve decided to share five incredible facts about this pretty little critter… 1. The Chequered Swallowtail Doesn’t Have A Tail Although this butterfly […]
5 Awesome Australian Butterfly Sanctuary Photos To Copy
There is something so beautiful and intricate about butterflies. With colourful, detailed wings and tiny adorable faces, photographing butterflies is a fascinating art for itself. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary provides a smorgasbord of beautiful photo opportunities. As well as providing a range of colourful tropical butterflies, the aviary itself has some spots that are so […]
How To Take Perfect Butterfly Instagram Photos
When it comes to butterflies, getting that perfect shot for the ‘gram can be a little bit of a challenge. Flapping wings, fluttering bodies and focal changes can leave your camera memory card emptier than a schooner on a bucks night. So how exactly do you take perfect butterfly Instagram photos? From tips on framing, […]
Friday Fun Fact – Orange Migrant Butterflies!
You might remember recently, we mentioned that we had some Orange Migrant caterpillars in our laboratory. Great news, they have emerged and we have some beautiful butterflies flying around our aviary! We’ve been growing the host plant for a few years now, so it’s exciting that we now have the butterfly to go with it. […]
Silk Moths Mating
This is the last generation of Silk Moths for this season, here at Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, as our Mulberry trees have lost their leaves. The eggs will be collected and kept in the fridge until September, when the Mulberry trees grow new leaves. The process will start again!
Friday Fun Fact – Blue Tiger Butterfly
A new species we are introducing over the coming weeks is the Blue Tiger Butterfly –Tirumala Hamata. The butterflies of this group (subfamily Danianae) are the longest lived of all species. They feed mostly on toxic plants, fly slowly and spend long periods resting in sheltered areas during winter. Their pupa is fresh green and […]