Fresh Sheet – May 28, 2010

“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.



El Salvador

10 - Battus belus (Belus Swallowtail)
25 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
10 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
15 - Colobura dirce (Mosaic butterfly)
10 - Consul fabius (Tiger Leafwing)
10 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
15 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
10 - Heliconius hortense (Mountain Longwing)
10 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
10 - Lycorea cleobaea (Large Tiger)
80 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
20 - Morpho polyphemus (White Morpho)
10 - Myselia cyaniris (Blue Wave Butterfly)
15 - Myscelia ethusa (Royal Blue Butterfly)
10 - Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail)
10 - Papilio thoas (Thoas Swallowtail)
09 - Parides montezuma (Montezuma Cattleheart)
10 - Prepona omphale=archeoprepona omphale (Blue Belly-Button)
20 - Tithorea harmonia (Harmonia Tigerwing)

Total = 309

London Pupae Supply of LA

09 Appias lyncida (Chocolate Albatros)
10 - Athyma perius (Common Sergeant)
10 - Catopsilia pyranthe (Mottled Emigrant)
10 - Cethosia cyane (Leopard Lacewing)
10 - Chilasa clytia (Common Mime)
10 - Euploea core (Common Crow)
10 - Hypolimnas bolina (Great Eggfly)
10 - Idea leuconoe (Paper Kite)
07 - Ideopsis juventa (Wood Nymph)
05 - Ideopsis vulgaris (Blue Glassy Tiger)
12 - Junonia almanac (Peacock Pansy)
10 - Junonia lemonias (Lemon Pansy)
10 - Papilio lowii (Sunset Swallowtail)
10 - Papilio palinurus (Banded Peacock)
10 - Papilio polytes (Polite Swallowtail)
03 - Papilio rumanzovia (Crimson Swallowtail)
25 - Parthenos sylvia lilacinus (Blue Clipper)
10 - Parthenos sylvia violaceae (Violet Clipper)
10 - Tirumala limniace(Blue Tiger)
10 - Tirumala septentrionus(Dark Blue Tiger)


Total = 201


Read more!

Queen Galinda?

On Friday May 21, naked mole-rat Elphaba gave birth to a litter of 20 pups. These individuals were smaller than usual and did not do well; by Monday we had lost the entire group. Either because the pups were not viable or for more complex reasons, the colony did not give this litter the same care as it has for the last several births.




While this sounds like unfortunate news, it may not be. Naked mole-rat colonies normally have only one reproductive female, making ours the anomaly in having two. Most other exhibitors have predicted violent fighting between females, which perhaps still lies ahead. But maybe not.

If one female is more successful in reproducing, the other can revert to a non-breeding state. The ovaries and uterus of a naked mole-rat that stops breeding would become smaller, as in an immature female. Her behavior would become more like that of a worker and less like that of a queen. Yet should the primary queen be lost, she would be able to resume breeding once again.

At this point, we cannot confirm that one female has emerged as the queen, but we can be on the lookout. If Galinda is validating her status, we will see her engaging in dominant behavior towards Elphaba and possibly preventing her from interacting with breeding males. Some studies show that this, rather than the pheromones she produces, is what prevents other females from getting pregnant.

Interesting times lie ahead.

Read more!

Grasshopper Havoc

Spring is in the air folks! The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and at Pacific Science Center the eastern lubbers are hopping! Yes folks, this spring we have hatched our very own baby eastern lubber grasshoppers (Romalea guttata). This is the first time that this species has been able to reproduce within our exhibit, so we’re watching them closely and with much excitement.


An eastern lubber is a type of grasshopper native to the southeastern and south central portion of the United States. They are common to Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and North Carolina often found swarming in search of lush green grasslands. Nor are lubbers very picky eaters. They will devour a wide variety of vegetation and fruit. Lubbers have a fondness for citrus, vegetable crops and landscape ornamentals. For many animals they are toxic to eat and they can secrete noxious foam as a defense mechanism. They are one of the largest grasshoppers reaching over 2.5 inches in length as adults. Although they have wings, lubbers are flightless.

Most adults usually lay between 25-50 eggs. Our exhibit currently has 13 newly hatched juveniles, so we are hoping to be seeing more shortly. Spring hatchlings generally mature by early fall. We are very excited to watch them grow!


Grasshoppers are fun to look at on exhibit, but not an insect that we would like to add to Seattle’s outdoor animal population. As with all of our insect species, their bedding, food and cage are maintained following strict containment protocol. Perhaps more than any other animal we care for, it is easy to understand this need with grasshoppers: They move fast and eat a wide range of plants. We remind our readers to never release any non-native insects into the wild, even accidentally, by composting cage material that may contain eggs. [See our earlier article, "Stick Bug Amnesty." –ed]


A reminder of the havoc that grasshopper species can cause in our region is highlighted in a recent article from the Seattle Times. The challenges of dealing with grasshoppers are compounded by the fact that there are a number of species, each adapted to different conditions. Richard Zack, from Washington State University’s Department of Entomology, listed the following: the bigheaded grasshopper (Aulocara elliotti), the clearwinged grasshopper (Camnula pellucida), the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the redlegged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), and the valley grasshopper (Oedaleonotus enigma). Professor Zack commented, “Each can be a problem. They will vary on where you are looking and the year.”


Let's all agree - the last thing we want to do is add an invasive species to that list!


Read more!

Fresh Sheet – May 21, 2010

“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.



Costa Rica

14 - Anteos chlorinde (White Angled Sulphur)
03 - Archeoprepona demophon (One-spotted Prepona)
14 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
09 - Caligo atreus (Yellow-Edged Giant-Owl)
04 - Caligo eurilochus (Forest Giant Owl)
05 - Caligo illioneus (Illioneus Giant Owl)
13 - Catonephele mexicana (Mexican Catone)
14 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
11 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded shoemaker)
09 - Chlosyne janais (Crimson Patch)
14 - Colobura dirce (Mosaic butterfly)
30 - Danaus plexippus (The Monarch)
42 - Dryadula phaetusa (Banded Orange Heliconian)
14 - Dryas iulia (Julia Longwing)
30 - Eueudes isabella (Isabella’s Longwing)
13 - Hamadryas amphinome (Red Calico)
09 - Hamadryas feronia (Variable Calico)
14 - Heliconius charitonius (Zebra Longwing)
11 - Heliconius cydno (Cydno Longwing)
14 - Heliconius doris (Doris Longwing)
11 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
48 - Heliconius hecale (Tiger Longwing)
20 - Heliconius ismenius (Ismenius Longwing)
18 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
10 - Heliconius sara (Sara Longwing)
10 - Heraclides anchisiades (Ruby-spotted Swallowtail)
25 - Hypna clytemnestra (Silver-studded Leafwing)
14 - Mechanitis polymnia (Polymnia Tigerwing)
32 - Morpho peleides (Blue Morpho)
08 - Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail)
25 - Papilio polyxenes (Black Swallowtail)
13 - Philaethria dido (Scarce Bamboo Page)
19 - Siproeta stelenes (Malachite)


Total = 540


Read more!