Butterflies Go Free – Biodiversity on the Wing

Montréal's Nature Museums invite you to join them from February 18 to April 25 and enjoy a fascinating, delightful time during the 13th edition of Butterflies Go Free, presented by the Insectarium in the Main Exhibition Greenhouse at the Botanical Garden.

During the International Year of Biodiversity (2010), come celebrate Biodiversity on the Wing and admire dozens of local and exotic butterfly species.

Butterflies Go Free invites you to learn more about 50 to 75 butterfly species from around the globe. Of the some 1.8 million plant and animal species inventoried to date, two-thirds of them are insects, and close to 175,000 of that number are butterflies. And since some estimates suggest that there may be as many as half a million of them, it means that there are still thousands more species to be discovered.

Amazingly adaptable
Did you know that butterflies (or Lepidoptera) appeared on Earth back in the days of the dinosaurs? They have since developed features allowing them to adapt to a vast range of conditions and environments. For instance, some of them feed on nectar from orchids with very deep nectaries, while others sport wing colours and patterns that protect them from predators.

Amazingly adaptable
The event presented in the Botanical Garden’s Main Exhibition Greenhouse, with temperatures of up to 29oC, holds plenty of splendid surprises for visitors, whether you’re already a butterfly fan or simply curious. Come get a close-up look at some 1,500 butterflies and moths from England, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Indonesia and elsewhere.