Closer Inspection
They dont just wing it
Inside the Smithsonians butterfly pavilion
K RIS C ORONADO Theyre on the same floor of the National Museum of Natural History as the Hope Diamond and the Dom Pedro aquamarine, but unlike those precious stones and minerals, these living gems flit and flutter in the 1,200 squarefoot glass Butterfly Pavilion. For a small fee ($5$6, free Tuesdays, butterflies.si.edu), visitors can observe more than 300 butterflies in action. We have a lot of people coming through who are here to see them because theyre pretty, says Dan Babbitt, the museums Insect Zoo and Butterfly Pavilion manager. But the
BY
exhibit aims to show guests theres much more to the winged insects than their vibrant hues and brilliant patterns. For starters? Theyre tough. A common misconception, Babbitt says, is that butterflies are delicate. But a butterfly can fly with a third of its wings missing, he says. Similarly, the pavilions serene setting makes it seem as if the exhibit is easy to maintain. Hardly. This being completely inside, in a hall, we have to rely a lot on environmental controls, Babbitt says. Here, he gives us glimpse of how he and his team keep the exhibit flying yearround.
Emergence chambers house specimens in their pupa state. About 200 to 300 arrive each week because butterflies dont live long an average of a week to three weeks, Babbitt says. The chamber for international butterflies is kept in a lab separate from the pavilion. Once an insect emerges, it hangs upside down so its exoskeleton can harden, which can take at least a few hours. Then the insects are put in containers in the pavilion. Most eventually fly out, but these silk moths remain enclosed.
In the pavilion, where temperatures stay between 76 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit, a dozen misters spray water when the humidity level dips below 60 percent.
Lighting from 15 modified stadium lights, which slowly turn on at 7:30 a.m. and start dimming at 7:30 p.m., encourages plants to produce nectar and benefits butterflies. For butterflies to be happy, they need a sunny, hot summer day to be active, Babbitt says.
Babbitt estimates the pavilion has more than a dozen tropical plant varieties, such as Buddha bellies. Plants are switched out a few times a week to make sure they are in bloom and producing nectar food for the butterflies. A rotting fruit nectar bar helps feed the pavilions inhabitants, including this owl butterfly, from South and Central America and one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of about six inches. When a butterfly needs to be handled, Babbitt uses a paintbrush to minimize the risk of hurting it. Here, he holds a tiger longwing. We dont let people touch the butterflies in here, so we dont touch the butterflies in here, either, he says.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENJAMIN C. TANKERSLEY
If silk moths were not contained, visitors would rarely get to see them. They live, like, three days, Babbitt says. They dont have a functioning mouth. So they get all their nutrients as a caterpillar.
j u n e 30 , 2013 | THE WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE 1 5
