Butterfly house?

[Mark Walker]

Alex wrote:

> They're torture chambers for butterflies. I've never seen such evidence of
> predation on butterflies by spiders as inside a "butterfly house"; of
> course, "collecting" is not allowed inside, is it?

No - save for trash collecting (which can be a monumental task).  You can't
have a bunch of dead bugs lying around for the patrons to see - it just
isn't good business.

Lots of irony there - but hey, they are a marvelous place to visit if you
can put all of the irony and hypocrisy aside.  Personally, my passion is
first with watching the things thrive, second with preparing them for
presentation, and third with arguing in favor of preserving my right to do
the first two.  Watching them thrive in butterfly houses is perhaps
contrived and somewhat artificial, but satisfying nevertheless.  My buddy
Dave in Ft. Lauderdale gets to spend his time and energy propagating the
guests, which includes interacting with them inside walk-in rearing cages
(not exactly the same as the rain forest, but it is exhilarating).  They
don't really want any ovipositing in the main aviary - there doesn't seem to
be an equal passion for gluttonous worms that mercilessly defoliate the
garden canopy.

See ya next week.

Mark Walker
Spring has not yet arrived in New Hampshire
 

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl