~Part of Your World~

Penang Butterfly Farm

Hey ya'll

Its been awhile (no wifi from Ryn's summer home) but I'm back!!! And with sunburn too!!! XD. Number one, I would like to thank Nuffnang for letting me win those free tickets to watch Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne Johnson...unfortunately, due to the trip I was unable to attend. Number two, a shoutout to Michael of butterfly-insect.com and their blog.

Anyway moving on, during my visit in Penang, I (naturally) visited their butterfly farm. My comments, well I must say I am quite impressed with the entire operation. But let me show you instead of tell you

This is me with one of the birdwing butterflies Troides (Helena?) . They are my favourite, not only because of their immense size and striking colours, but also for their tendency to sit quite content upon my person. Aren't we majorly colour compatible?

But of course there were other species in the farm. Swallowtails were also abundant, such as this pair of Common Mormons Papilio Polytes which, along with numerous others of their kind seem to like hanging out near the leaf-insect and phasmids display.

This cool guy is a leaf insect Phyllidae can you spot him? Leaf insects like him are some of the best leaf-mimics in the entire animal kingdom! His species were once thought to be the animated leaves of a tree that would run away when touched or blown by the wind. It was once thought that like real leaves, they lived on nothing but sunlight and air!!!!

But I thought the best part of the entire farm was how tame the butterflies were, and how willing they were to simply alight on my hands and cooperate to have their pictures taken...

Even when they are at it!!! This is a pair of Malayan Lacewings Cethosia Biblis

This little butterfly, apparently, hitched a ride on my head for most of the duration we were at the park. I felt a ticklish and itching sensation in my hair and was about to reach up and scratch it when Bernie's sharp eye spotted him and stopped me just in time. Watch out there little guy...that could've been nasty!

But I guess we were overall amazed at how well kept the farm was. Throughout our entire stay there, we not once saw a single dead butterfly on the ground, something which is -unfortunately- common in the KL Butterfly Park.

I guess what made me most satisfied with the entire trip was the knowledge that these beautiful butterflies, insects though they may be, were getting the royal treatment here at the Penang Butterfly Farm. Don't they just look so happy in these pics? This group of Cethosia bilis seem to be having a very heated feeding frenzy.

Although perhaps this little lady should have gone for a flower that was real instead.

To me, Penang Butterfly Farm makes a difference mostly because of their breeding programme. While writing up my article on Malaysia's National Butterfly 2 years ago, I stumbled upon this little piece of knowledge and since then have wanted to visit the farm. The Chrysalis box is perhaps the most exciting exhibit in the entire farm (short of the insect show which i missed!!! Bummer T.T ) because you actually get to observe the process of the emerging butterfly which - while no longer foreign to me - is no doubt a breathtaking moment for those who have yet to see such a sight.

This Cethosia biblis emerging from her chrysalis gives the term "beauty sleep" a whole new meaning.

Although...some species like these tree nymph (Idea Leuconoe) chrysalises also sleep in style.

And although they wake up with a rather demure pattern of white with black spots, I would say that these nymphalid butterflies have one of the most graceful and beautiful flight patterns in all the insect kingdom

My rating of the place, a possible 9 out of 10. But perhaps my love for butterflies and insects are making me biased although, I'd say RM10 per entrance is a low price to pay to help with Penang Butterfly Farm's efforts in education and conservation of part of our natural heritage.

So what did I get from this visit?

1. Got to see lots of butterflies

2. Farm was clean and beautifully landscaped
3. Other insect and animal exhibits were interesting

4. Managed to get even more ideas and inispirations for my Butterfly Fairies series

I would seriously recommend anyone who is going up to Penang to check this place out :)

PEACE OUT