Educational Exhibits

You can watch our new Cairns Birdwing emerging video to learn more about a butterfly’s lifecycle.  We have a microscope connected to a computer which captures images so you can view the anatomy and wing structure of several butterfly species and observe the tiny scales that produce the iridescent electric blue of the Ulysses.  The website background is in fact a butterfly wing as seen under the microscope. The Silk Moth Caterpillars exhibit has a live display during their summer breeding season and provides information and cocoons all year round. You’ll learn why silk is so expensive – these caterpillars produce around 600-900 metres of silk when they spin their cocoons. The moths don’t fly, so you’ll sometimes see them mating inside the display.