Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Buck Roses, Butterfly House - Nathan's Notes

February 15, 2010

 Last month my note covered a lot of numbers in reference to the butterflies flown in 2009. This month I have another number. In order to receive butterflies from locations throughout the United States and other countries, I have to have a USDA permit. Currently I have five permits, each covering the movement of pupae from different regions of the world. I always knew I had a lot of species on the list but, I never took the time to put all of the list together, remove duplicates and count them up. By now you might be wondering to yourself, just how many different species of Lepidoptera could they receive at Reiman Gardens? Well the magic number with our current permits is 1,024. That is a large number of moths and butterflies, but only a drop in the bucket when you consider that latest worldwide estimates for Lepidoptera are up to 225,000 different species.    

January 15, 2010

The Butterfly Blizzard has ended, but there are still butterflies flying in the Wing. They will be flying all winter long. As always the start of a new year means compiling end of year reports for the USDA. In 2009 Reiman Gardens received 15,762 pupae from around the world. That number was made up of 185 species with four new species never flown in the Wing before. When you consider that Iowa has approximately 125 native species of butterflies, the 2,500 sq. ft. Butterfly Wing was really a-flutter with diversity. This winter the Butterfly Wing will be open for visitors from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. seven days a week.

December 15, 2009

Back in October I spoke of several butterfly species new to the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing. At the time I didn't have any photos to share. Since then, several species have emerged, and I was able to get some photographs of the new species. With the Butterfly Blizzard in full swing, it is hard to pick just one species to discuss. With that in mind, I have decided to share photos of the new species flown in the Wing in 2009. The Butterfly Blizzard runs through January 3rd, so stop out to photograph the butterflies you have never seen before.

Ornithoptera priamus

Papilio garamus

Papilio victorinus

November 15, 2009

Who doesn't like nice autumn leaves with beautiful colors, watching them blow from trees, and spending time with nature as you rake the leaves? Alright, maybe not all aspects associated with autumn leaves are fun. If you are not a big fan of raking leaves, the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing has just the autumn leaf for you. One of the butterflies flying in the Wing this month is the Autumn Leaf (Doleschalia bisaltide), from Malaysia. The Autumn Leaf is aptly named due to its fall color palette and wing shape. When at rest, the Autumn Leaf will actually position their bodies so they are facing the same direction as the rest of the leaves on the branch. So if fall is getting you down, stop by the Butterfly Wing at Reiman Gardens for some warmth to pick you up.

October 15, 2009

Earlier this month, in a butterfly shipment from one of our tropical suppliers, we received two new species of butterflies which have never been flown in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing. The two species are the Three Tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio pilumnus) and the Magnificent Swallowtail (Papilio garamus). Both of these Swallowtails are native to Central America, but occasionally they make an appearance in the southern part of Texas. Since this is the first time we have flown the species, I do not have a photo to share. Fortunately, both species have what looks like three tails on their hindwing so you will know when you see one. If you have a chance to visit the Butterfly Wing this month, keep an eye out for these two new butterflies.