It’s an exciting time at The Conservatory. The sun has been shining, the skies are clear and blue but the skies are not the only blue we’ve been seeing!
In addition to our renewed Health and Safety Commitments which have guided our reopening, we have also welcomed a variety of new species to our family, including some Blue Poison Dart Frogs, Electric Blue Lobsters and a Greenbottle Blue Tarantula, just to name a few.
Blue Wave, Myscelia cyaniris
These gorgeous sapphire blue butterflies are members of the largest family of butterflies, Nymphalidae. Depending on how the light is reflected on the surface of the butterfly’s scales, this blue may appear black or even purple at times. Although we’ve had Blue Waves at the Conservatory in the past, it’s been a long while since we’d had the pleasure of hosting this butterfly in our greenhouse. This species was one of the first to emerge following the closure due to COVID-19.
Greenbottle Blue Tarantula, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Greenbottle Blues, known for their vibrant and vivid colours such as the metallic blue legs, are native to South America. Like all tarantulas, they have fangs that move up and down (instead of side to side) to capture their prey and inject venom which helps to digest their food.
Blue Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates tinctorius “azureus”
Although Poison dart frogs are naturally poisonous in the wild, our new friends eat mostly fruit flies and are generally not toxic. But just as with the orange colouration in Monarch butterflies, these bright colours are aposematic coloration, acting as a warning of their toxicity.
Electric Blue Lobster, Procambarus alleni
Unlike the aposematic coloration of the Blue Poison Dart Frog, the Electric Blue Lobster’s colouring is a result of a missing gene. This crayfish species is native to Florida and has been bred to exhibit this bright blue colouring.
These new blue species are only some of our new additions, we’ve also added the following species to our diverse family:
- Desert Hairy Scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis
- Cave Crickets, Phaeophilacris bredoides
- Baboon Tarantula, Hysterocrates gigas
- Caterpillars – Owl, Caligo sp.
- Brazilian Black & White Tarantula, Nhandu coloratovillosus
- Cuban Tree Frog, Osteopilus septentrionalis
- African 2-Spotted Crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus
- Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, Romalea guttata
- Giant Cave Cockroach, Blaberus giganteus
In addition to these new friends, our Honey Bee Hive is back and the bees are busy working away!
We are now open everyday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, with the last timed ticket for 3:45pm. Timed tickets are required and must be reserved on our website www.cambridgebutterfly.com.
When planning your visit, check out our full list of Health & Safety Commitments to ensure a safe and memorable experience.
