Fresh Sheet – September 26, 2015

Many non-profit institutions would be disadvantaged without the help of their volunteers. Have you ever considered giving your time and talents to your favorite cause? Consider Pacific Science Center. Opportunities for people of every age, ability, and interest are available. Check out our website and join the fun.

Here is what’s emerging this week in our Tropical Butterfly House:


Bioproductores de El Salvador
El Salvador

18 - Archeoprepona demophoon (Hubner’s Prepona)
25 - Battus belus (Belus Swallowtail)
20 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
12 - Dryadula phaetusa (Banded Orange Heliconian)
20 - Eurytides thymbraeus (White-crested Swallowtail)
14 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
10 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
20 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
12 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
10 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
20 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
20 - Papilio erostratus (Dusky Swallowtail)
25 - Papilio torquatus (Band-gapped Swallowtail)
09 - Papilio victorinus (Victorine Swallowtail)
10 - Archeoprepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
25 - Prepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
20 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)
10 - Tithorea tarricina (Cream-Spotted Clearwing)

Total = 300

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.

Fresh Sheet – September 12, 2015

Next week, our Tropical Butterfly House will be closed for five days, September 14 – 18. This brief closure allows staff to thoroughly clean the exhibit and make necessary repairs. Of course, the rest of Pacific Science Center will be open.


Neotropical Insects NV
Suriname

10 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
20 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
08 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
06 - Heliconius doris (Doris Longwing)
05 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
60 - Heliconius sara (Sara Longwing)
50 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
18 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded Shoemaker)
10 - Hamadryas amphinome (Red Calico)
04 - Biblis hyperia (Red Rim)
30 - Eryphanis polyxena (Purple Mort Bleu Owl)
09 - Mechanitis polymnia (Polymnia Tigerwing)
40 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 270


Bioproductores de El Salvador

25 - Anaea eurypyle (Pointed Leafwing)
12 - Archeoprepona demophoon (Hubner’s Prepona)
25 - Battus belus (Belus Swallowtail)
20 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
25 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
12 - Doxocopa laure (Silver Emperor)
20 - Eurytides thymbraeus(White-crested Swallowtail)
10 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
10 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
10 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
25 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
25 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
25 - Papilio erostratus (Dusky Swallowtail)
10 - Papilio garamas (Magnificent Swallowtail)
25 - Papilio torquatus (Band-gapped Swallowtail)
10 - Prepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
10 - Prepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
15 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)
15 - Tithorea tarricina (Cream-Spotted Clearwing)

Total = 329


Grand Total = 599

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. Visit Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.

Volunteer Postcard

With very mixed feelings our team recently said “bon voyage” to one of our Volunteer Animal Caretakers, Bridget. After ten months on the team, she left Seattle for a yearlong globetrotting adventure. Her journey started in the Middle East and Africa and ends in South East Asia. We couldn’t allow ourselves to be too sad because we were all so excited and supportive of her trip, and understandably thrilled to live through her vicariously.




So far she has been to Dubai, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya. We have seen her pictures of lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, and zebras etc., but we are probably most excited about her wild encounters with animals from our collection!



A big part of the reason that Bridget started volunteering with us was because of her love for naked mole rats. A significant part of her morning tasks was dedicated to cleaning, preparing food, and interpreting our naked mole-rat colony for guests. There are about 20 species of mole rat native to Africa, our beloved naked mole rats being one of them. While touring Great Zimbabwe, Bridget was lucky enough to encounter evidence of a colony:

As Bridget put it in a message sent to one of our Animal Caretakers: “At Great Zimbabwe, guide told me that these were Mole Rat Tunnels! I squealed with delight and he looked at me like I was insane.”



Bridget has also seen one of our most beloved arthropods that we have in the Insect Village: The Giant African Millipede. Coming across this giant diplopod in the wild would probably startle a lot of people, but Bridget was just excited and eager to share what she knew about them.




Along with her picture came this message “Look what I spotted in the wild! I got very excited and told everyone about my experience with Giant African Millipedes.” 
A few weeks later, Bridget found another Giant African Millipede in Kenya, “This one was real big! Crawling around on our porch, so cool!”


Thanks, Bridget, for sharing your pictures from the first half of your trip! We are excited to see if you encounter any more animals from our collection when you head to South East Asia. Hopefully when you are back you can volunteer with us again!