pilpintuwasi butterfly farm
welcome
Visitors to Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm in Iquitos are able to see the complete life cycle of these beautiful creatures, and learn about the impressive development of butterflies.
The Amazon is profuse with many varieties of butterfly on show, including the highly colored and delicate Longwings and other Heliconids Swallowtails (papilios) Peirids Caligos (owl butterflies). Some of the more remarkable of the species are the blue morph and the tattered winged buho, or owl butterfly, as well as some poison-haired caterpillars. The caterpillar of the brilliantly colored blue morpho pokes out two horn-like prongs from its head if it is threatened or when the guide taps it with a finger. The buho, so called for the large, dark spots on its impressive wings that resemble owl’s eyes, is one of the few aggressors on the farm. They pull at each other’s wings with barbed feet to defend their piece of fruit and consequently most have torn wings. They look like the butterflies in an old collector’s case. The smaller pavilion is a security measure against parasites. Every day eggs and cocoons are collected from the leaves and branches of the garden and stored in the smaller room.
The Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm is the only butterfly farm in Peru - and the farm is included on select guided tours. Butterfly farms in tropical rainforest areas are increasingly becoming another important factor contributing to a greater understanding of rainforests and their conservation.
At the entrance to our grounds you will see a manguaré drum is sitting on the floor of a maloca, beside a sign which advises you to beat the drum to call us and then to relax in a hammock while waiting. The wait is considered to be as entertaining as the butterflies as you may be entertained by the squawks of two macaws and two parrots, as well as the appearance of a number of wild monkeys taking refuge in this area.
More than 40 species of the most colorful (and least dangerous) insects of the Amazon thrive at Pilpintuwasi. Visitors learn about the problems with finding a host plant for each caterpillar, the life cycle of butterflies, problems with predators, etc.
At Pilpintuwasi, you will see the rearing of the giant blue Morphos, Helicons, Owl Moths, Swallow tails and many others.
lifespan = less than 2 weeks!
After mating, the females lay their eggs on particular plants, which are referred to as "host plants." As soon as the larva hatch from their eggs, they begin eating the plants. After a few days, caterpillars hatch and they, too, immediately begin eating; their only goal is to grow.
Depending on the species, it takes between two and ten weeks to reach their final size. During this time, the caterpillar sheds its skin four to six times.
Then they move around until they find a secure place. There they hang themselves with a silk belt and turn into a pupa or chrysalis. At this stage, within the pupa shell, the tissues of the larva are broken down by chemical process, and reconstructed into a completely different animal -- the adult butterfly. This process takes from one week to several months.
When the adult butterfly emerges from the pupa, it starts to pump blood, air and quitine into the wrinkled wings. When the wings are fully expanded, the butterfly is able to fly and the cycle starts again.
The life span of the butterfly is less than two weeks.
Opportunities are available for volunteers. Please eMail Gudrun directly for details.
We love nature and are conscious of the threats to flora and fauna; we hope our efforts will enable our visitors to increase interest in and love of our natural world and help with conservation efforts.