Rearing butterflies in captivity: an alternative to study the biodiversity in the Colombia coffee region

Abstract

During last year the diurnal butterflies {Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) have been used as ecological indicators and at the same time, the man is learning to enjoy their beauty. Therefore, butterflies have international scale demand for educative, scientific, commercial, tourist and artisan purposes. Butterflies populations are under threat by factors such as excessive collection, destruction of the natural habitats by land clearing, and deforestation using burning, cutting down of the tree and pesticide application. An alternative to protect butterflies survival is to develop studies on their life cycles, distribution, surveys of host plants, natural enerníes. and to develop butterfly mass rearing in captivity. The objective of this work was to create a butterfly garden to carry out biodiversity research on Lepidoptera from the Colombia coffee region with the aim of developing conservation and environmental education programs. The study was carried out at Cenicafé (Chinchiná, Caldas). A total of 32 species were studied and its identification are presented in the following list: Danaus plexippus megalippe (Hb.), Danaus gilippus Cramer (Danaidae); Leptophobia aripa Boisduval, Ascia monuste Linnaeus, Eurerne albula Cramer, Phoebis sennae L., Eurerne salome Felder, Phoebis phi/ea L. (Pieridae); Dione moneta Hübner, Agraulis uanillae L., Dione juno Cramer, Heliconius doris L., Heliconius erato Hew., Dryas iulia Fabricius, Eueides aliphera Godart, Eueittes procula Doubleday, Heliconius charitonius L., Heliconius cydno Stgr., Heliconius clysonymus Latreille (Heliconiidae); Papilio tohasnealces Rothschild & Jordan, Papilio anchisiades idaeus Fabricius, Papilio polyxenes Fabricius, Parides eurimedes Rothschild & Jordan (Papilionidae); Actinote equatoria Bates (Acraeidae); Siproeta epaphus Latreille, Adelpha ce/erío Bates, Chlosyne lacinia Geyer, Tegosa anieta anieta Hewitson, Colobura dirce L., Anartia amathea L. (Nymphalidae); Mechanitis sp.. Ithomia alienassa Hnsch. (lthomiidae).