Science, butterflies, colors.

The crocus colors paint the garden but we found the butterflies in the Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center put on an even greater show.

With the exception of the Monarch, none of the butterflies in the room are native to Washington, the rest being imported from South and Central America from butterfly farms. They live almost their entire life in a wonderfully humid room my Pacific Northwest kid found “too hot!”

The butterflies, of course, are the highlight, flying freely and flashing their brilliant colors. Using the great cheat sheet provided by the center I’m able to identify some of them, alas others I’m not.

Papilio rumanzovia – Scarlet Swallowtail

Idea leuconoe – Rice Paper or Paper Kite Butterfly

Morpho peleides – Common Blue Morpho

Caligo memnon – Owl Butterfly

Heliconius hecale – Golden Helicon

And finally, this is what it looks like when you’re chasing a butterfly around the room.