Butterflies to be released into Rainforest exhibit on weekends

February 6, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will release live butterflies into its Butterfly Rainforest exhibit at 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, beginning Saturday, Feb. 11.

The Butterfly Rainforest is the Florida Museum’s newest permanent exhibit, offering visitors the experience of coming face-to-face with hundreds of exotic, vibrant butterflies fluttering atop a tropical canvas of foliage and flowers. The 6,400-square-foot screened, outdoor Butterfly Rainforest houses tropical and subtropical plants and trees, including nectar flowers to support an average of 55 to 65 butterfly species at any one time.

The Florida Museum’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity also houses the world’s second-largest collection of butterflies and moths – more than 4.2 million specimens. The McGuire Center’s indoor exhibits include the “Wall of Wings,” a spectacular display of more than 13,000 butterfly and moth specimens and photographs reaching nearly three stories high and more than 200 feet long. In addition, the Rearing Lab offers visitors a closer look at the life cycle of the butterfly, from egg to larva to pupa.
Butterfly Rainforest admission is $7.50 for adults and $4.50 for children ages 3-12.