Frequently Asked Questions
Do they have educational tours for students?
Answer: Yes. We welcome schools, grades K-12, groups and daycares. We will work with you to set up a fun and educational experience geared toward your age group or curriculum and provide a guide to answer any questions you may have. We offer a variety of different educational movies that you can choose from depending upon your age group or curriculum.
Answer: If you want to book a birthday party you can either call our phone number, which is (352)-628-6362, or submit a form on our contact page
What activities are provided for the party?
Answer: We offer admittance to our theatre room with your choice of movie from our collection, access to our garden, manmade habitat and live insect displays. The birthday guest will also receive a free butterfly release wish. A cake can be provided at an additional charge of $20.00. Call Bobby for details and available times.
Where do our butterflies come from?
Answer: The butterflies in our facility are Native to North America and Florida. We have anywhere from 10 to 30 different species depending upon the time of the year.
Answer: Lepidopterist
What is a butterfly?
Answer: Butterflies are beautiful flying insects. They have 6 jointed legs, 3 body parts, a pair of antennae, compound eyes and an exoskeleton.
Do butterflies sleep?
Answer: Sort of. Butterflies need the sun’s warmth to keep them active. So, at times when the sun isn’t shining, they close their wings and rest. This resting state is similar to sleep, but it’s more like being inactive.
How do butterflies communicate?
Answer: Butterflies can communicate with each other by color, chemicals, sound and physical actions. Color patterns are used to signal their sex or species to each other. Chemical pheromones are used by both sexes to attract each other in courtship. Sound and physical actions, such as making a clicking sound, being aggressive in flight or postures, are used either in courtship or to protect an important nectar source.
How warm does a butterfly body temperature have to be to fly?
Answer: 86 degrees.
What is the largest butterfly in North America?
Answer: The Giant Swallowtail with a wing span of 6 inches. Known as the “Orange Dog” by citrus growers.
How long do butterflies live?
Answer: An average butterfly only lives 2 to 3 weeks. Monarchs live up to 9 months while migrating.
Whee do butterflies go when it rains?
Answer: Butterflies hide when it rains. They hide under large leaves of trees, crawl down into dense leaves or under rocks. Some just sit on bushes or grass with their wings held tightly together. If it rains for a long duration or exceptionally hard, they become tattered or die.
What is the largest butterfly in the world?
Answer: The Queen Alexandria Birdwing from Papua New Guinea is the largest butterfly in the world with a wing span of 12 inches.
What is the smallest butterfly in the world?
Answer: The Western Pygmy Blue is the smallest butterfly in the world with a wing span of ½ inch.
Do butterflies go to the bathroom?
Answer: Adult butterflies do not go to the bathroom however, they drink so much at times that they emit a fine spray of almost pure water from the tip of their abdomen.
What do butterflies eat?
Answer: While butterflies don’t eat in the traditional sense, they have a proboscis, or long tube in their mouth that acts like a straw for drinking. They feed on nectar from flowers, rotting fruit, dung, pollen, tree sap, and other substances that may have dissolved in water or dirt.
What is puddling?
Answer: Butterflies are known to sip liquid from puddles or moist dirt. This puddling behavior enables the butterfly to get nutrients and minerals that are in short supply in their everyday diets.
What do caterpillars eat?
Answer: Caterpillars eat host plants. These plants are where female butterflies lay their eggs. Each species has a different plant or many plants in which the caterpillar eats the leaves.
How far can a Monarch fly during migration?
Answer: A Monarch butterfly can fly between 2,000 to 3,000 miles.