Beautiful Butterflies

Our next Ecuadorian adventure took place in beautiful Mindo (more on Mindo in the next blog).  Our first tourist activity of the day was a visit to Mariposario, a butterfly farm.

 

Mariposario has one of the biggest exhibitions of butterflies in Ecuador featuring over 25 different species flying in a greenhouse that you get to spend time in.

At the entrance to the Butterfly Farm there are beautiful flowers lining the way.

I caught some stunning hummingbirds in action.

 Romy showing Grammy a fresh hand-picked flower. 

 



 

At the beginning of your introduction to the greenhouse you get an explanation of the life of a butterfly and you can see the different stages.  Mindo Valley has 1,200 species of butterflies, many of them are endangered.  In the Mariposario we learned the process of metamorphosis of butterflies, which consist of four stages:  egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.

 

Here is the location where the caterpillars become chrysalis.

 And here you can see the butterflies emerging from their cocoons.



Butterflies are usually shy, but here they are used to people. That's why they have no fear of landing on your head, shoulder, hand, arm ... basically whatever extremity they feel like landing on! Enjoy the spectacular butterfly show!

 

 This is a feeder for the butterflies. 

 

 This one landed on Gary's Panama hat.

 

 

 Here's Romy showing off her butterfly.

 

 

 

 

 And here's Malin with a butterfly resting on her finger.

 Romy, this time with TWO butterlies--one on each hand!

 

 This one landed on my t-shirt sleeve.

 A magnificent blue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Psalms 103:15-17

As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him ...