With Valentine’s Day approaching we’re feeling extra mushy and couldn’t help but share this cute story. For Emily, it was just another Friday afternoon and just a normal visit to the Butterfly Conservatory. She and Dylan arrived with their sweet little girl just before closing and with the exception of one other person, they were all alone in the greenhouse. …
Going “Bear” Hunting?
How to Care for a Bear Raising any caterpillar to watch the life cycle is a rewarding, educational experience. Woolly Bears are cute & fuzzy caterpillars that are active this time of year, making them easy to find. And they’re quite easy to raise! Here’s your how-to guide for caring for a Bear! Step 1: Find a Woolly Bear …
Butterflies of India & South Asia
Butterflies of India & South Asia – A Special Exhibition for 2017 India is home to approximately 1,800 species and subspecies of butterflies. Of those species between 15-20{445e89025a4c50fcfeeac19430422221da6859948fb46c166dae93841e3a783b} are native to the area. This makes India a hotspot for butterfly diversity and conservation. A few of the butterflies we had flying during this exhibit include: Common Lime Swallowtail Papilio demoleus …
Monarch Population Status Update
2017 was a banner summer for the Monarch butterfly! We’ve been getting a lot of feedback from butterfly enthusiasts across southern Ontario who are all reporting seeing more Monarchs than last year in 2016. Certainly we have also observed more butterflies and caterpillars on our milkweed than the last two years combined, which is great considering the delayed spring …
The Hort Report – August 2017 Edition
Photo Credit: Mike White The Ecosystem of a Garden By now your garden should be alive with pollinators – both winged and terrestrial critters. You’ve probably noticed many plant pests lurking around your lush foliage and feasting on your floriferous buffet and you’re scheming and plotting their demise. Hoards of aphids are sucking the life out of your Cup Plants …
Fun in the Arizona Desert!
Invertebrates in Education and Conservation Conference 2017 – Tuscon Arizona We might be biased, but we think entomologists or “bug geeks” are some of the friendliest and most fun people to hang out with. Similar to any kind of hobby club, when you get together with a group of like-minded individuals who are all passionate about the same things you …
The Hort Report – July 2017 Edition
Photo Credit: Mike White Planting Perennial Pollinator Gardens We were going to use the title “Butterfly Gardens” but that wouldn’t be accurate. Once you plant a garden loaded with golden pollen and delectable nectar, you will attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, hoverflies and other animals that all serve as significant cogs in the ecosystem wheel. These insects and birds are attracted …
Searching for Ontario’s only Endangered Butterfly
The Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) Mottled Duskywing Photo Credit: Jessica Linton Supporting butterfly conservation research, especially in our region, is very important to us here at the Conservatory. One such research project we’ve been involved with is the conservation of Ontario’s only endangered butterfly, the Mottled Duskywing. On Saturday June 3, 2017 our Naturalist along with a group of …
Monarch Mania!
The Monarchs are Back! The children & grandchildren of the overwintering Monarchs in Mexico have traveled thousands of kilometres back up through the United States and into Canada and are now being seen at their northernmost limit. The northern limit of monarchs is determined by the range of their host plant, milkweed, on which they lay their eggs, which can …
Cecropia Moths
It’s that time of year again – the Cecropia moths are emerging from their cocoons! Cecropias overwinter as pupae, snuggled in their cocoons until the warmer weather signals to them that it is time to emerge as adult moths. Like most silk moths, Cecropia moths lack mouth parts so they only live for a couple of weeks. They …
