Museum overcomes butterfly supply problem

Museum staff have overcome an overseas supply glitch which earlier cut tropical butterfly numbers at the museum's Tuhura Tropical Forest.

Museum director Dr Ian Griffin said that in August, the museum had encountered "supply problems'' with butterflies from the Philippines, because of "an issue between the courier firm and the butterfly supplier''.

The museum living environments team had helped arrange a ``prompt resolution'' but the issue resulted in the museum missing several shipments of butterfly pupae over a three-week period, in August-September.

This had resulted in "noticeably lower numbers of butterflies'' in the forest, Dr Griffin said in a recent report. However, to compensate, museum communicators had delivered a free programme, "No rain, no rainforest'' for visitors, instead of the usual daily "First Flight'' butterfly release.

The new programme focused on the importance of tropical ecosystems and the role that rain and the water cycle played in maintaining healthy habitats.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

 

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