SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale is the largest butterfly conservatory in the United States, but have you ever asked yourself how the butterflies get there?
Believe it or not, butterflies are sent to Butterfly Wonderland in the mail and they will spend about two weeks in their chrysalises before they emerge and spread their wings.
"We do not grow any of our butterflies ourselves. Instead, what we're doing is we're bringing in our butterflies from butterfly farmers from all over the world," said Derek Kellogg, director of animal care.
A chrysalis is the middle stage of a butterfly's metamorphosis, between being a caterpillar and turning into a butterfly. These chrysalises make their way to Butterfly Wonderland from South America, Asia, Africa, and even from Florida in the U.S.
"And we'll get about 1,200 chrysalises a week," said Kellogg. "They'll come through the delivery just like everything else. And then what we'll do is take them back to the lab, open them up and start processing the shipment."
But is it safe to send chrysalises in the mail?
"The chrysalis stage is actually the perfect shipping stage. In that stage, they don't have a lot of wings, they're not terribly squishy, and they don't eat or drink at all," said Kellogg.
This stage lasts about two weeks or so and after they emerge, around a thousand new butterflies are released into the exhibit every week.
"Especially during the spring and fall, we have somewhere between three and four thousand butterflies in here," said Kellogg. "Our average lifespan for the butterflies is three weeks and up."
Butterflies are just part of what you can experience here.
Visitors can learn about Monarch migration in a captivating 3D movie, spend ample time strolling through the conservatory with the butterflies, get up close to unique reptiles that inhabit rainforests across the world, and even indulge in edible insects.
Butterfly Wonderland is located at 9500 East Vía de Ventura F100 in Scottsdale. Tickets start at $29.95.
Click here for more information.
