Thursday, November 18, 2010

Julia


I saw a Julia once before, in a butterfly house in San Francisco. But this one was wild in Texas, so it seemed much more lovely to me. Julias, like Gulf Fritillaries, eat passion vine. Julias don't live in Berkeley like the Gulf Fritillaries, but they do reach as far north as Nebraska. They prefer the southern areas like Florida, Texas and Mexico. This one is a favorite in butterfly houses because it is active all day. Also, the tropical butterflies are used to dealing with the shaded understory, and are not alarmed by the reduced sun exposure under glass. I have seen the more northern species bat themselves against the glass trying to get out, but the tropical butterflies seem cool with being inside. Of course, the many tropical butterflies are big and bright, and people love seeing them, so they are perfect for a zoo situation in that way, too.

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