In what has become a beloved tradition, the has opened Butterflies Alive!, a lushly landscaped outdoor pavilion where guests can stroll among hundreds of colorful free-flying butterflies.
Direct from the Tropics
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Museum receives hundreds of chrysalides (the form caterpillars take before they emerge as butterflies) twice a month from a supplier in Costa Rica.
A total of 6,000 chrysalides from 36 tropical species will be delivered — via Federal Express.
Fun fact: The chrysalides include Monarchs, a familiar species also found locally. These butterflies migrate to the California coast each winter where they can be seen locally at the Monarch Butterfly Groves in Goleta and Pismo Beach.
Extraordinary Butterfly Metamorphosis
Malachite butterflies perch on a guest to the pavilion.
Each species needs a different amount of time to go through metamorphosis and mature into butterflies.
Hundreds of chrysalides and newly hatched butterflies literally “hang out in a climate-controlled “emergence chamber” inside the butterfly lab, and can be viewed through a glass window in the Santa Barbara Gallery.
“It is rare to witness even one butterfly emerge, so to see so many species in one place is extraordinary,” says Kim Zsembik, the Museum’s director of guest experience, who manages the exhibit.
Newly hatched butterflies need time to dry before they can fly. Once they do, Zsembik and museum staff gently prod them to hop onto popsicle sticks for transfer first into a repurposed mesh laundry basket, then into the Pavilion itself.
Fun fact: Butterflies create chrysalides, an external protective shell in which they shed their skin for the last time. Moths use cocoons, twined from silk, before their final molt.
‘Blue’ is New
Four species are new to the exhibit this summer, including the Mexican Blue Wave, Band-celled Sister, Ruby-spotted Swallowtail, and both Blue and Variable Cracker butterflies (the name comes from a sound heard when defending their territory).
Species guides are online and available in the exhibit to aid in identification, but it’s not always easy. Some species, like the Blue-frosted Banner, are “dimorphic,” meaning that males and females have different markings and patterns.
In other species, the sexes look the same.
Fun facts: Giant Owl, which can grow up to an eight-inch wingspan, is the largest species in the Pavilion. The large “eye” pattern (like the owl in their name) on their wings is to scare predators.
Among the smallest species is Doris Longwing, a dark butterfly with blue, green, or red ray patterns.
Territorial Battles
Blue Crackers, a new species in Butterflies Alive! this summer, get their name from the sound they make when defending their territory.
Are all these colorful critters compatible? “I love diffusing the myth that all butterflies get along,” Zsembik says. “The males have a ‘patrolling’ behavior when they fly around and push out interlopers. Morphos actually fight each other.”
So, if there is a pair of flittering butterflies, they could be fighting, not mating.
Fun fact: Local small creatures find their way into the Pavilion, including praying mantis and other insects, lizards, spiders, and even tree frogs. “There’s plenty to eat and they help our garden to thrive,” says Zsembik.
Nectar, Pollin, Fruit
Regarding food, not all butterflies feed on nectar and pollen. Some prefer ripe or rotting fruit and uncoil a long proboscis (tube-shaped mouthpiece) to sip juice from oranges, bananas, and watermelons. Others feed on plant sap, mud, dung, and even dead animals (but not in this exhibit).
Some species like the smell of certain floral perfumes and even human sweat.
Fun fact: Fruit is positioned throughout the Pavilion, especially down low, giving children an up-close view of butterflies feeding.
Fun in the Fog
A foggy day shouldn’t keep visitors from enjoying Butterflies Alive!
“Even our ‘June Gloom’ offers good viewing,” says Zsembik. “The butterflies may be less active but can be closely inspected resting on pathways or the undersides of trees and bushes.”
Fun fact: Visitors are encouraged to wear bright colors as butterflies may come close or even land on their clothing. But the butterflies should not be handled. Mirrors at the exit allow visitors to check for potential hitchhikers.
Get ‘In the Zone’
The Pavilion’s plantings are laid out in nine different zones along a curving pathway, each with differing plants and food. The garden design not only takes into account the butterflies’ needs but also offers elements of surprise for the visitor.
Colorful “plant walls” mask what is behind the next curve, which could be a refreshing water feature.
Exploring the Pavilion can take 20 minutes or an hour and Zsembik points out that no two visits are the same.
“This is an eye-level view of nature, no matter your height. It’s a chance to slow down, be dazzled, take photos, and build memories with the people you come with.”
Butterflies Alive! is included in Museum admission. Reservations are recommended and can be made at .