After an explanation on the exportation of butterflies, the tour proceeds to The Butterfly Garden. In an enclosed tropical garden where perhaps over a thousand butterflies live their lives, feeding, mating and laying eggs. Guides may identify the most beautiful of Costa Rica's butterflies, point out the females ovipositing their eggs on host plants and feeding on flowers. Visitors may touch the legs of butterflies and discover how they hold on to plants or try to find the lottery number on their wings. Topics such as the role of butterflies in nature, their defense mechanisms and those of their host plants are but a sampling of the many themes discussed.
Butterflys Farms
Costa Rica is world wide famous for protecting its flora and fauna. Butterflies are not an exception.
Having developed many Butterfly Farms in the past ten years, Costa Rica attracts tourists from all over the world. There exists about 20,000 butterfly species worldwide. Of these, about 1,000 or 5% can be found in Costa Rica .
The screened gardens are wonderful chances to learn about butterfly ecology and observe the winged creatures up close. One large butterfly farm is located about an hour from San Jos ? nd makes a good day trip. Others are located in Monteverde, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and other destinations on longer itineraries.
About Butterflies…
Butterflies are insects that have four wings, two compound eyes of various parts and six legs. Most butterflies live approximately 3 weeks and they move their wings at a velocity between 460 and 630 beats per minute.
Approximately 90% of the butterfly species in Central America exist in Costa Rica , nearly 66% of neo-tropical butterflies and about 18% of all butterfly species of the world.
The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Egg
The female butterfly deposits its eggs on the host plant. The egg is the most vulnerable period.
Larva
From the egg is born a caterpillar which eats only vegetable matter, digests, and grows over a period of 10-60 days. During this time they shed their skin (molt) four to six times.
Pupa or Chrysalis
When fully grown, the caterpillar hangs itself from a branch or leaf of a host plant and undergoes its final molt. When fully developed, the chrysalis changes color and splits within one to two days into the adult.
Some places where you can enjoy Butterflys Farms
Butterfly Garden ( In The Guácima)
One of the most popular Costa Rica Butterfly Farms is located at the Guácima, 40 minutes from the capital city and 20 minutes from the Juan Santamaria Airport . The Butterfly Farm, the first butterfly exhibit in Latin America , has become a leading attraction for Costa Ricans and visitors
It is a tropical garden where perhaps over a thousand butterflies live their lives, feeding, mating and laying eggs. Visitors to this intriguing farm are treated to a two hour guided tour. Get to know a lot about the butterflies, their role in nature, their defense mechanisms and about the plants they host, all during a visit to Costa Rica Butterfly Farms. The tour culminates at the gift shop, where guests are afforded more opportunity for questions and answers.
Do carry sunglasses, binoculars, insect repellant, cap, pocketknife and camera while going on a tour.
Manuel Antonio
Butterfly Botanical Garden
The Butterfly Botanical Gardens at Fincas Naturales is a living laboratory of nature conservancy, and an example of sustainable development, where you will see a variety of butterflies, as well as flora, including precious tropical hardwood trees ranging from 150 to 200 years old.
Fincas Naturales Wildlife Refuge
It is a 30 acre private refuge and nature exhibits with 1500 meters ( 4500 feet ) of trails, designed for all ages, conveniently located between Quepos and Manuel Antonio. Fincas Naturales is currently researching and developing nature exhibits to help reproduce local species in danger of extinction.
The Nature Farm Private Wildlife Refuge hosts the most uniquely designed Butterfly Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica, its multi-level walk-ways enable the observer to view a variety of local butterfly species and their hostplants located along the perimeter of the atrium garden.
Monteverde
Butterfly Garden
Founded in 1991 by biologist Jim Wolfe and his wife Marta Iris Salazar. The focus of the project is environmental education, and thousands of butterfly enthusiasts each year visit the Nature Center and four enclosed butterfly gardens.
The farm has a nature center, 4 gardens, a 500 square meter netted flyway , 3 greenhouses, a gift shop and botanic gardens. Hundreds of species representing about 40-50 species.
You can see about 50 Monteverde butterfly species by hand to keep in the gardens blooming with life.
Butterfly Farm Selvatura Monteverde
Explore a community that gathers more than 20 species of butterflies. Enjoy the guided walk inside one of the world's largest live butterfly exhibitions with an area of over 29,000 square feet ( 2,700 square meters ).
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Since Waterfall Gardens is located in the Rainforest, they made adjustments to their observatory by adding a covered viewing area near the laboratory. This addition allows guests to see the butterflies no matter what Mother Nature has in mind for the weather.
An on-site laboratory is a breeding ground for the countless fluttering species. It offers an interesting perspective into the stages of development of the most colorful species in Costa Rica .
With over 4,000 of the flighty creatures in the observatory at any one time, guests will be delighted by a possible butterfly kiss, or two.
Some of the species you can see at the Paz Waterfall Gardens are:
Heliconius erato
Heliconius hecale
Papilio thoas
Papilio anchisiades
Tithorea tarricina
Morpho peleides
Hamadryas guatemalena
Hamadryas amphinome
Mechanitis polymnia
Greta oto | 
