Mariposas

Costa Rica is home to over a thousand different species of butterflies and Monteverde has the largest butterfly sanctuary in Central America, so of course I had to check that out. The place was essentially a greenhouse so it was baking hot but it was worth it, especially because a couple tiny renegade hummingbirds had broken in and were zooming around.

Typically, the eggs are laid in host leaves which then hatch into larvae, grow into worms as they eat more and more leaves, finally forming a coccoon and metamorphosing into moths or butterflies. In the sanctuary these coccoons are moved into heated cabinets to protect them from natural predators and the cold, and you can actually see them "hatching."