The butterflies that fly in our garden travel here in the form of pupae or chrysalises, as this is the easiest stage of their biological cycle to transport. They come from places as far away as the Philippines, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Belize and Kenya, where they are bred in captivity, not captured from the wild. Once in the laboratory and after being inspected, they are placed in hatching cages where, under controlled environmental conditions, the butterflies are born in full view of our visitors. Once in the garden, they are fed artificial nectar that is prepared daily in the laboratory.