BUTTERFLY GARDEN

I had not been here for a while. When I entered the facility, I saw a few mating pairs of butterflies.

The Leopard Lacewing (scientific name: Cethosia cyane) and locally extinct Common Sergeant (scientific name: Athyma perius) were having it on, so I tried not to distract or disturb them too much when taking their photos. Fortunately, when they were at it, they were not so skittish.

The inconspicuous and flowering Calathea is kind of rare because I have hardly seen them anywhere. However, I have yet to get its identity confirmed.

I took the internal photo of the enclosure in case some day the Terminalia mantaly (common name: Madagascar Almond; Family: Combretaceae) goes.

There was also an uncommon Batik Lacewing (scientific name: Cethosia biblis) perched on the frond of the Dicksonia fern. The curled-up and unfurling brown thing is the crozier of the fern. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?

CROZIER

As I was replanting the Butterfly Garden enclosure on 12 Feb 10, I was captivated by this unfurling crozier of a fern I purchased from Thailand last Jan 09 and couldn't help but took photos of it.

I just found it so beautiful - the way it curled near the tip of the frond and the way it unfolded itself as it grew. Yet, the pinnate fronds were similarly uncurling at the same time. It is just amazing!