March Morpho Mania

MARCH MADNESS IN THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE

Get up close and personal with nature at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in St Louis, Missouri.

The Butterfly House is a magical place. Pretend you’re in a foreign land, far away, wandering in a tropical forest where hundreds of colorful butterflies fly free. Feel the hot, humid air in the huge, glass-domed structure making droplets on your face. Gaze at these gorgeous creatures flitting restlessly from one bright flower to the next, searching for nectar. Wonder at the soft touch of gossamer wings as a butterfly brushes against your face.

Whether you’re a celebrity or a world-weary civilian, you can find an oasis in the Butterfly House…you feel a million miles away from the noise and nuisance of civilization.

This March (2008) The Butterfly House held the 1^st Annual March Morpho Madness, by releasing hundreds of new Morpho butterflies each Saturday in March at 1pm. Many people wanted to be present, so we were lucky that our daughter knew about this event and we could go early to be sure to get entrance tickets.

What a wonderful experience. So many gorgeous butterflies (between 60-80 species at any one time)—a medley of bright colors against green succulent leaves. But, on that Saturday in March, most noticeable are the blue Morphos—thousands of iridescent blue wings fluttering, the creatures flitting through the whole area enclosed by the glass dome, sometimes grazing past our heads, or arms, sometimes landing on a person. It’s awesome and magical to have these beautiful, delicate creatures so close.

Don’t harm the delicate flyers.

Be careful where and how you walk as they may also land on the path, so don’t turn or lunge unexpectedly. Double doors at the entrance and exit to the enclosed area also try to prevent butterflies escaping out into the rest of the building—they are called “hitch-hikers”.

At 1pm, three of the staff wheel in a large net-mesh cage, which they unzip and out pour about 300 more Morphos, blue wings shining, overwhelming our senses, and fluttering like bright jewels. Some fly straight up, others into the bushes, others stop to rest to get strength in their wings. The Morphos seem to float majestically, rather than fly, dipping and soaring. We feel the urge to whisper because their movement makes no sound. Stop and listen—can you hear the flutter?

We feel very honored to witness this incredible sight, which would never be possible in the wild. The excited chattering and comments in the dome show just how beloved these gorgeous creatures are. We marvel at the delicate beauty, but also at the inner strength of these tiny creatures. Butterflies are a symbol of metamorphosis and of hope: They start out as fat and ugly and become something beautiful and ephemeral, almost not of this earth. People like to believe that we can change and make ourselves better—have our own metamorphosis.

We try to take photos, but the butterflies are flitting so fast that it’s tough to focus unless they come to rest.

There are good display boards about all the butterflies and the staff (in blue shirts) answers questions very well.

Some Fun Facts:

–The Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho menelaus) is an iridescent blue butterfly that lives in rainforests of South and Central America.

–The wings of the Blue Morphos are not actually blue: the scales on the wings reflect light in a special way.

–The underside of the wings is mottled brown with large black “eye” markings. This is so they can close their wings and be camouflaged while eating.

–Morphos like to sip rotting fruit, tree sap, fungi, and wet mud, drinking the juices with their straw-like proboscis.

–The Blue Morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from 5 to 8 inches. 

–The Morpho caterpillar has a very “bad hair-do”, with lots of spikes on the back of its head, as camouflage.

–Many butterflies taste with their feet.

–They bask in the sun, as they’re cold-blooded. When warm they can fly to search for food.

–The special release didn’t have to be in March, as butterflies mate all year. But, the staff thought this was a great way to end winter, and we have to agree!

The Butterfly House is in Faust Park, along 64/40 West. Exit at Clarkson/Olive, and drive along Olive about a mile on the left.

Enjoy the series of pictures below. Click on the thumbnails for a bigger view.

The butterfly on the bag is a Blue Morpho with closed wings. The other butterflies are a Lapwing, a Great Egg Fly, and a Paper Kite respectively.

 

 

 

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