Notice something different about this week’s shipment. We are receiving fewer pupae from our provider in El Salvador and will continue to receive smaller shipments for the next few weeks.
Just as an especially rainy spring in Seattle can affect our local crops (as well as our moods), similar weather patterns in El Salvador have affected the production of healthy caterpillars and pupae in the butterfly farms of El Salvador in Central America. Here is a recent report from our vendor, Francisco Serrano:
Due to a recent full week of intensive, continuous rains, we will be carrying out some modifications in [your weekly] order… mainly trying to make shipments as cost effective as possible. Our main problems have been with the high mortalities associated with these continuous days of high precipitation and lack of sun … Thus, [within the] last week few eggs were laid, many larvae died, and our species composition in terms of numbers will no doubt be affected, especially during the next 2 to 3 weeks.
[It is] interesting to note the parallelisms with the weather up that far north. Perhaps the Pacific Ocean has a greater and more even effect than is generally recognized. It should be interesting to compare notes more often!!
Very grateful for your patience and understanding, we send our very best as always.
Knowing the problems our vendors face brings us closer to them, and helps us connect the butterflies we exhibit, with the visionary folks worldwide who raise them. News like this reminds us that as idealistic as butterfly farming may sound, it is still farming. It takes hard work, and even with the greatest effort, it is subject to circumstances outside the farmers’ control. Here’s hoping for some sunshine, in Seattle and in El Salvador.
30 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
30 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
20 - Consul fabius (Tiger Leafwing)
10 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
16 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
12 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
15 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
12 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
80 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
25 - Myselia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)
25 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
10 - Papilio torquatus (Band-gapped Swallowtail)
30 - Prepona omphale=archeoprepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
Total = 315
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