Cancun Hotels Kuartos Mexico Reservations made easy!: 

Flowers
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Kuartos.com on 23 February, 2008 04:22:00
 
Xcaret’s Butterfly Pavilion project was born in 1994 with the
identification of the many butterfly species native to the state of Quintana
Roo, as well as their host plants and the nectar plants they feed on.
Then, with the idea of keeping track of the raising of butterfly populations
when reforesting an area with host and nectar plants, the cultivation of these
plants was started. After four years, the succeeded in reforesting the park with
the fabulous amount of 17,974 host plants and 26,000 nectar plants. This induced
butterfly species such as Parides, Papilio thoas and Driadula –that no
longer had been observed in the area– to reappear, besides providing food
to the migratory species.
Now, the Xcaret nursery propagates 3,000 plants a month and plans to increase
this number even more in order to go on reforesting the park as well as the
coastal dune strip in the north of the state that has suffered a strong
environmental impact.
As a result of the jungle disruption, three butterfly species are in a delicate
situation: the Hamadryas honorina, one of the seven species native to the
Yucatan Peninsula; the Battus philenor corbis, whose habitat is restricted to
beaches and dunes where its host plant Aristoloquia pentandra grows; and the
Driadula phaetusa phaetusa which we know very little about. That is why its
research is so important.
To save them from extinction, the Butterfly Pavilion plans to collect adult
butterflies in the south of the state. The specimens will be transferred to the
park’s breeding area, where the natural conditions simulate their habitat.
Then, the eggs will be collected in small crystal boxes, and once the larvae
hatch, they will be taken to their host plants in the reforestation areas, where
they will feed until they turn into pupae and butterflies.
Moreover, Xcaret’s Butterfly Pavilion intensively reproduces 20 butterfly
species (the average is of 400 specimens a month by species) and knows the
biological cycles of 51 species. Its wish is to continue with these studies,
because they bring valuable information on the reintroduction of threatened
species or those which are in danger of extinction into their natural habitat.