{"id":1370,"date":"2012-08-06T03:07:22","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T07:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/study-abroad\/?p=1370"},"modified":"2024-01-29T12:11:11","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T17:11:11","slug":"costa-rica-the-business-of-the-butterfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/international\/costa-rica-the-business-of-the-butterfly\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Rica – The Business of the Butterfly by Tait Sorenson"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Butterfly Farm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today we visited the largest exporter of butterflies in Costa Rica, which has been in business for 20 years.\u00a0 At first thought, I had no idea how or why butterflies could make a successful business but after our visit it became clear.\u00a0 It is truly amazing how complex a butterflies life cycle is and how they can provide a wonderful reminder of the value of life, as many of us tend to forget the importance of our surroundings.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/dt>\n
Morpho Helenor Butterfly Eggs<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

To begin with, a butterflies main purpose is to help its own particular species thrive.\u00a0 At the Butterfly Farm there were 35 different species.\u00a0 Each species feeds on different plants, so the butterfly sanctuary has an extremely wide variety of bright colorful plants, as butterflies only see in three colors, which are red, yellow, and green.\u00a0 In addition, butterflies use ultraviolet vision and smell to help find mates up to 2 kilometers away!<\/p>\n

The males must impress the females because the females choose their mate, which is to ensure strong offspring. The females will lay approximately 100 eggs with only about 2 eggs surviving and becoming adults.\u00a0 As a means of defense, the females lay their eggs in groups of 20-30. The eggs are placed on “host plants” that are carefully picked out by each species.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/dt>\n
A pupa before it is exported<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

The “host plants” provide protection and nutrition as the eggs transform into incredibly small caterpillars into just a few days.\u00a0 The caterpillars devour large plants, as they build up strength for the pupa stage.\u00a0 A caterpillar will eat, or recycle, its’ own skin to produce silk which is wrapped around itself as it\u00a0 becomes a pupa, which is similar to a cocoon.\u00a0 It is at this pupa stage, also called crystalis stage, that it is exported to various countries, such as the USA, Canada, South Africa, Europe, Singapore and Australia.\u00a0 Each pupa is carefully packaged and sent the same day and is individually sold for around $2.25 per pupa (before the shipping and handling).\u00a0 The importing countries will take the pupas to different zoos, museums, and butterfly exhibits and the pupa hatches into a beautiful butterfly as it completes the cycle of life.<\/p>\n

In summary, the reason butterflies are valued so high is to simply celebrate life and our surroundings.\u00a0 Our hostess for the day further explained the relationship of life and our ecosystem by referencing a Shaman, or a medicine man, in the rain forest.\u00a0 She explained that as humans further become obsessed with technology and industry, we neglect the value of our natural resources until there are no more.\u00a0 In her example, a lot of plants have natural healing abilities yet humans are too quick to deplete\/destroy the very resources that can cure certain illnesses. It is the wisdom of the Shaman that explains why butterflies are so valuable, and are a perfect symbol that life is extremely fragile and should be celebrated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Butterfly Farm Today we visited the largest exporter of butterflies in Costa Rica, which has been in business for 20 years.\u00a0 At first thought, I had no idea how or why butterflies could make a successful business but after our visit it became clear.\u00a0 It is truly amazing how complex a butterflies life cycle is … Continue reading Costa Rica – The Business of the Butterfly by Tait Sorenson<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,7],"tags":[23],"coauthors":[685],"class_list":["post-1370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-costa-rica-business","category-study-abroad","tag-costa-rica-business"],"yoast_head":"\r\nCosta Rica - 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