Dr. Audette J. A. Bailey, Contributor
MOST PERSONS like to admire butterflies flitting across the landscape. The large number of butterflies which are seen periodically along Lady Musgrave Avenue and other streets in Kingston are always admired by onlookers. But not many persons are delighted to see the often unattractive 'worms' crawling or just sitting on the leaves of different species of plants.
The students at St. Andrew High School, for example, are certainly not amused when the 'worms' of the Lignum vitae butterfly hang precariously from the leaves of the Lignum vitae trees under which they seek
shelter from the scorching sunlight in between classes. Indeed they eagerly anticipate the metamorphosis to the numerous yellow butterflies that add colour to their school grounds. But creepy crawlies can be beneficial and have been the products of several businesses worldwide, generating profits of an estimated US$ 5 million per annum.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Butterflies must metamorphose from the eggs to creepy crawly larvae (worms) to
sleeping beauties or pupae. All stages are considered marketable products. To produce these marketable products butterfly farms must be established. They are usually established in rural communities. Butterfly farming involves rearing of the young stages in captivity from parents that are also held in captivity. Another technology, butterfly ranching, which is
practised in countries such as Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea involves capturing the young stage of the wild population and rearing it to the adult stage in captivity. Both methods can be very challenging and require a multi-
disciplinary team including a zoologist, botanist, ecologist and horticulturalist.
The rearing of insects for profit is not new. The Chinese silk moth industry was developed thousands of years ago and with the introduction of new technology has continued to thrive.
Butterfly farming requires three components: plant nursery, breeding facility and work area (laboratory, office, storage area). To ensure that the business operates efficiently sound accounting and accurate recording keeping are of paramount importance.
A plant nursery consists of a large number
of high quality larval hostplants, for example, Asclepias curassavica (Red Head) for the desired number of larvae and species. The nursery may also contain plants required for landscaping a butterfly house and for use as nectar sources. To begin the breeding process it is necessary to obtain an initial stock of butterflies.
It is recommended that the breeder starts with 20 pupae which emerge close together in time. The butterflies are allowed to fly freely in an enclosure (breeding facility) where they A laboratory is important in examining the livestock for
disease organisms and is sometimes used for packaging
products which will be sold.
MARKET
Several markets exist for butterflies: sale of butterflies to other breeders and to zoos and butterfly houses and the release of butterflies at special occasions. Eggs, caterpillars, pupae or adult can be sold to other breeders. It may be more economical for breeders to specialise in a small number of species. The countries that are the leaders in the production of pupae are Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Kenya, Madagascar, United States, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Specimens can be sold from as low as US$0.20 to US$5.00 each but a rare specimen.
Dr. Audette J. A. Bailey, Research Fellow, Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona.
