Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory

Liz & Rob are an amazing couple with an amazing story to share! Planning a wedding can be challenging in the best of times but with the right foundation and a great team they showed that #loveprevails Thank you for putting your trust in us and choosing #CambridgeButterflyConservatory as your destination!

Watch as an Owl Butterfly emerges from its chrysalis From egg, to caterpillar, to pupa, join Naturalist Andalyne as we get close up to see part of the magnificent metamorphosis in action!

A butterfly’s wings are important - they help with attracting a mate, evading predators, and maintaining body temperature But as important as the wings are, they are really quite simple, and just one cell thick! Butterfly wings are made of an extremely thin, transparent material called chitin, and some, have colourless scales, which depending on the light can appear blue or even see-through You can see the iconic eye spots on the underside wings of this Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) which are revealed as the sun hits the upper wings in just the right spot . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

Special moments captured in special places This #TBT we’re throwing it back to 2019 to when we had the honour of hosting Kat & Stan’s special day at #CambridgeButterflyConservatory . . Photos captured beautifully by Frances Beatty Photography

Happy Birthday Cheecho! Our fun-loving green-cheeked conure is turning 12! Cheecho has grown up amongst the butterflies and alongside many of our visitors - normally we throw a big party and celebrate with all of you, but like many of you who celebrated their birthday under quarantine and increased restrictions, so too is our beloved parrot So this year, we’re inviting you to send us a DM or COMMENT below and we’ll pass along your best wishes to to the birthday boy! . . Visit us to say #HBD in person and stroll through our tropical paradise We’re open today and everyday *except Mondays* from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

Have you ever had to climb the rope in gym class? This Monarch makes it look easy! That’s because of the claw-like feet, or segments called tarsi at the end of its legs These help them grip and hold on to all different types of surfaces, allowing them to climb vertically! . . Visit us! We’re open all weekend from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

The Gift Store at Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is a hidden gem, filled with hidden treasures perfect for that hard-to-gift-for-person on your list! Offering more than just mementos, our carefully curated selection features handmade gifts by local artists, stylish decor, sweet treats and fun & educational toys and games for your little bug! . . No timed admission needed for a visit to the Gift Store! We’re open from 10-5 Tuesday to Sunday with renewed Health & Safety Commitments - contactless payment & curbside pick up available! Email, call or simply drop us a DM for more information! *more product options available - inquire today!

The elusive Emerald Swallowtail (Papilio palinurus) hides in plain sight amongst the lush green foliage of our tropical Conservatory A quick stroll through our garden paradise and you may miss this beautiful butterfly - stroll through again with a more precise eye to see if you can catch a glimpse! . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

Join us here on Facebook today at 2 p.m. as we go LIVE with Ontario Science Centre to share insight into some of our fantastic friends who often get a bad rap! Learn more about why these #creepycrawlies are not as creepy as they appear - special guest appearance by a crowd favourite! Stay tuned!

Our slow-growing Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) has started showing new growth A mature sago palm plant only produces leaves once per year and can take over 50 years to reach full growth of about 10 feet tall! Swipe to see the fluffy, feather-like #fronds this plant produces, similar to that of a fern plant #foliagefriday . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

The Parade of the Phantasma GIVEAWAY! Ghost hunt through our insect galleries to discover the fantastic world of #phasmids (aka #ghostinsects) and other #creepycrawlies We want to know who your favourite is! Tell us in the comments below to have the chance to win a family pass Swipe to see a few Halloween favourites #whipscorpion LIKE this post FOLLOW us @CambridgeButterflyConservatory on either Instagram or Facebook (or both!)... COMMENT what you’re most excited to see One winner will be randomly selected - contest closes Friday, October 30th at 5 p.m

We know how important it is to stay connected to nature both during the winter months and during times of increased stress Our tropical Conservatory is here for you Stay connected here online or visit us safely - we’re all in this together

Giant African Land Snails (Achatina fulica) truly are giant! Their shell is twice as high as it is wide and similar to how our nails are always growing, their shell keeps growing as their body grows - the growth slows but never actually stops When mature, the cone-shaped shell may have up to 9 whorls (or spirals) . . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

Before heading off into the setting sun this butterfly enjoys a sweet snack from one of our primary nectar plants here in the Conservatory The Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) can be found throughout our tropical garden - it grows quickly, providing a constant source of nectar for the 1000’s of free-flying butterflies . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

They say a change in perspective may just change your life But let’s start small, and get a good look at this Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia spp.) >> These blooms attract the pollinators of the night time - their scent is strongest in the evening in order to attract pollinating moths #foliagefriday . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

They say the #BirdofParadise plant may be one of the most well known in the world you’ll see it beautifully arranged in bouquets, and often with bright orange colouring This tall, nectar producing plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds! The blue petal you see is structurally reinforced to allow birds to perch when reaching down to get that sweet snack #FoliageFriday . . Thank you to @CityofKitchener for the donation of this beautiful White Bird of Para...dise (Strelitzia Nicolai) . . The gorgeous flower will be in bloom for another week! Visit us this long weekend to check it out in person we’re open all weekend including Thanksgiving Monday (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com See more

Lookin’ fresh to start the day #DYK insects actually spend quite a bit of time cleaning and grooming themselves, especially when it comes to their antennae! Researchers have found that grooming practices in insects, just like in humans, helps keep them in tip-top shape! . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

We welcomed Doors Open Waterloo Region for a behind the scenes look - check out the episode featuring our Naturalist, Andalyne, and learn more about what makes the Conservatory such a special place You can now watch all 16 #DigitalDoorsOpenWaterlooRegion episodes online!

Congratulations to Aazir & Keira! Stunning photos captured by Honey Photography

The beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) is not actually blue They have diffractive scales which get their colour by diffracting light When the light hits just right the rigid scales refract it, reflecting a rainbow-like play of colour - just as you see here! There can be as many as 5,400 scales per square centimetre on the surface of the wing! >> Swipe to see these scales close up! . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

The Monarch is a beautiful and important butterfly, but they’re also a Species at Risk that needs our help One of the best things we can do to help the monarch is to participate in citizen science projects like the #MonarchTagging program through @MonarchWatch . . Tagging and tracking migratory monarchs helps us better understand their migration and be more equipped with conservation efforts - that’s why every September we host Monarch Tagging Weekend - a 2 day event that ...allows visitors to learn more and be involved in the citizen science research by sponsoring migratory Monarchs . . Join us for Monarch Tagging Weekend THIS WEEKEND - September 19 & 20 Timed entry only Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio See more

#TFW: you are sitting peacefully listening to the tricking water as it cascades down the rocks while birds playfully splash about, and a gorgeous Blue Morpho butterfly soars into eyeline A beautiful #happenstance as @ohgee876 put it when sharing this special video with us . . credit: @ohgee876 .... . We love seeing your photos and videos Tag us & #cambridgebutterflyconservatory for your chance to be featured! Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com See more

One of these things is not like the others Can you *spot* what one it is? The variation in the eye-spots is a great place to start! Many moths and butterflies, including the three Owls (Caligo sp.) & the one Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) that you see here, have these eye-spots They are thought to be used as a form of mimicry, to startle or confuse predators . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

We’re going bananas over this fruiting Musa But unlike the fruit we’re used to, the bananas produced on this Banana plant are not ones you’d want to eat (think lots of seeds) The plant fibres are used to produce textiles to be made into things like carpets, tablecloths and even paper! . . #DYK The Conservatory is home to over 100 exotic plants? Visit us to stroll through our tropical garden with thousands of free-flying butterflies Timed entry only Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

The Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) is quite the butterfly, with their erratic flight patterns they can be tough to spot unless at rest when their stunning colours can be seen close up We can see some blue and brown in the butterfly here, however both wing size and colour may vary - you may see orange and greens as well It’s the white patches you see on the forewings that are seen across all subspecies (over 2-dozen of them), and where they get their name! . . Visit us to see this butterfly and more! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at https://www.cambridgebutterfly.com/timed-tickets/

All butterflies and moths go through a life cycle known as complete metamorphosis They all start as an egg, hatch into a caterpillar, and then pupate into a cocoon or chrysalis to then emerge as an adult Swipe to see the various stages of the Atlas Moth! . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com

With summer winding down, Monarch butterflies are starting to begin their epic migration South These butterflies are known as the super generation because unlike the Monarchs that emerge in the summer months and live 2-5 weeks, the Monarchs emerging in late August to early September will live 7-8 months, allowing them to travel the 5000km where they will overwinter in Mexico . . Join us for Monarch Tagging Weekend September 19 & 20 - sponsor a migratory monarch and learn more about this Species at Risk! Timed entry only Purchase tickets online at https://www.cambridgebutterfly.com/

Fall may be creeping in, but the Conservatory is a tropical paradise all year-round! . . Heads up! Fall Hours will take effect next week Closed Mondays beginning September 14th, open Thanksgiving Monday Chrysalis Café will be open Tuesday to Sunday 11:00am to 4:00pm .... . Join us throughout the Fall and Winter to stroll alongside thousands of free-flying butterflies in a lush garden oasis Link in bio See more

Anyone else feeling sluggish from the Long Weekend? This Giant Snail is slowly moving along by making a wave-like motion with the muscles in its foot Although snails and slugs are different, they are both part of the same class called #gastropods . . Visit us! We’re open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

Our butterflies are egg-cited to greet you upon arrival in our tropical garden! #GreatEggfly #Ricepaper Our renewed Health & Safety commitments - and our butterflies - will help guide you throughout your visit . . We’re OPEN today 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

At first glance, these two butterflies look similar but upon closer look you’ll see some distinct differences This is an example of sexual dimorphism, that’s when the males and the females look different The first image you see is of a female Great Eggfly, their upper wings are paler and have white spots along the edge The second image is the male Can you *spot* the differences? . . Visit us this Labour Day weekend We’re open everyday including Labour Day Monday from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio

Butterflies have become a symbol for the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council - they acknowledge that through the years folklore have identified the butterfly as a symbol for transformation, determination, and resilience We are so proud to support the #WRSPC in their Hope, Help, Healing social media challenge for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 on September 10th #WSPD2020 #Sharehope

Our garden paradise is the perfect spot to capture beautiful family memories surrounded by the beauty of nature Check out these gorgeous family shots by Hopewell Media

Kasia Dunn Photography's gorgeous shot of newlyweds Trish & Mike Congratulations to the happy couple!

Our butterflies come to us just like this, in the pupa stage as chrysalides from Costa Rica and the Philippines Once they arrive our team will then gently hang them in our Emergence Window where visitors can see their amazing transformation - once they emerge the butterfly will dry its wings before taking its first flight into the Conservatory . . Visit us! We’re open everyday this summer from 10am to 5pm (last admission sold for 3:45pm) Timed entry only! Purchase tickets online at cambridgebutterfly.com Link in bio @ Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory