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University of the Philippines Visayas

College of Arts and Sciences

Miagao, Iloilo

How to Raise Butterflies

In Partial Fulfilment

To the Requirements of 

PI 100: Life and Works of Rizal

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How to Raise a Butterfly

I.  Introduction

The butterfly had been a favourite imagery of Jose Rizal. It was evident from his

speeches and poems relating to the country‟s liberation as well as of his own. Its metamorphosis

has been a symbol for rebirth or reawakening. Pronouncing a toast at a feast circa 1884, Rizal

described struggle for a “New Philippines” as an “Oriental chrysalis leaving the cocoon” 

(Medina, 2000). His letter to Blumentritt tells us his frustrations both as an individual and as a

patriot. From the letter to his German friend, he said his life in exile was like a “butterfly ...

[lying] on the ground thinking of the rays of the sun, of the flowers, and of the pure and tranquil

atmosphere of other regions (Stockinger, 1998)”. But seriousness aside, Rizal was fond of 

studying, collecting and raising butterflies. He was a good catcher of butterflies that he could

easily catch one with his bare hands. He had several sketches of different species of butterflies.

He also made a lot of observations on them and wrote these in vivid details.

The word „butterfly‟ has an unclear origin. Some would give us silly explanations such as

it came from the phrase flutter by. Some would give a happy account to it as “the emergence of 

butterflies coincided with butter-producing time (Scott, 1986)”. The Oxford English dictionary

offers an explanation that it is called so because its color resembles that of butter (Ibid). In

Dutch, the word for butterfly is botervlieg while butterfliege in German tongue. The Greek word

for butterfly is psyche which also means the soul that is why the butterfly has always been used

as a metaphor for a departed person or the afterlife. The Spanish word for it is mariposa which

means „posing Mary‟ attributing to the clasped hands of the Virgin Mary. While in Dapitan,

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Rizal came to know twenty two word equivalents of „butterfly‟ in different languages. Few of 

these are: farasha in Arabic, rama-rama in Malay, hu-tieh in Chinese and chu-o in Japanese. He

also learned the Hebrew, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Swedish, Dutch, Cebuano, Catalan, Latin,

Spanish, Russian and Greek equivalent of the word. (Fadul, 2008)

Along with moths and skippers, the butterfly is from the insect order Lepidoptera, which

means „scale wing‟ in Greek (Ibid). The three members of this order all have wings, bodies, legs

and a dust-like scale that comes off when they are touched (Britannica Encyclopaedia 2009).

Butterflies and moths are very much alike at first glance. But unlike moths, butterflies have

round-tipped antennas, much rounded body and curvy wings. They also have prettier colors and

are more active during daytime.

Lepidopterans have the second largest population among all insect orders and have great

ecological value. Because of their size, they are major pollinators of flowers and fruits. They are

also have important role in the food chain. Caterpillars have been the source of food supply of 

 bats and other birds such as owls. Furthermore, they also contribute to a country‟s economy. The  

silk cocoon is used to make fabric in many Asian nations since they make durable and beautiful

silk cloths and it has been part of their tradition to make one. Butterfly gardens have also been a

source of income for many developing countries as they profit out of tourist visits. For example,

Mexico‟s locals earn a living out of managing protected areas for monarch butterflies as tourists

visit the area frequently. Butterflies contribute immensely to a country‟s economy because they

are major pollinators of crops and other plants. (Ibid)

As the title suggests, the paper is a manual of raising butterflies. Before giving

instructions, the paper will first touch on some of Rizal‟s experiences catching and raising

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butterflies. Step-by-step directions will be given as to how to catch, raise and preserve

butterflies. The authors would be very much delighted if the readers will follow these with

utmost commitment.

II.  How to Catch A Butterfly

In one of the pages of Rizal‟s journal, he mentioned he caught a pair of butterflies for a

young lady while he was heading for Barrio Mainit (Los Baños today) to go swimming. He had

heard someone singing and followed the voice. What he saw was a 14-16 year old girl named

Minang chasing a butterfly while her grandmother was washing clothes at a river. Minang was

trying to catch a butterfly with raven wings and purple spots. It had a rather unpredictable pattern

of flight and would sometimes playfully touch on Minang‟s face. Rizal later f ound out it was a

 Hypolimas bolina, or more commonly known as eggflies in United Kingdom. It is very territorial

in nature, which means that it is very protective of its perceived territory and acts aggressively to

any animal — even larger butterflies — that would cross the line. Remembering the scene, Rizal

recognized that the butterfly was trying to hurt the girl‟s eyes. Minang did not catch the butterfly

because Rizal accidentally stumbled on a rock and the noise scared the butterfly off. Rizal was

about to immediately leave when he saw a pair of butterflies that seemed to be happily flying in

midair. He expertly caught one and then another with his bare hands and nervously gave it to the

young lady. The butterflies were recognized by Rizal as a pair of  Vindula erota which in Latin

means „dancers of love‟. Although the authors are not expert catchers like Rizal was, the paper 

cum manual would like to teach the readers how to catch those with common materials (or even

bare hands!) and simple methods. (Fadul, 2008)

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The easiest time to catch a butterfly is during warm days and months since these are the

times when butterflies go out from their cocoons. When the day is perfect for catching

butterflies, search for places where sunlight strikes and where there are special plants that they

usually lay their eggs on, eat on and form a cocoon. They also thrive on flowers with bright

colors such as purple, yellow, orange and pink so search for flower gardens. Search for flowers

with flat tops where the butterflies usually rest and so the catcher can take time to capture the

insect.

Catching the butterfly with bare hands is not a simple task. Even professional butterfly

keepers use nets to catch it. But with persistence, the reader can be able to capture one with only

using his hands. First, mix sugar with water and then put some on the palm of your hand with the

mixture. They are sensitive to sweetness which is obvious in their love for nectar. Stretch out

your hand and use your other hand in cupping the butterfly when it lands on your palm. When

they were not enticed by the bait, try catching the butterfly when they are resting on a stem, leaf 

or a flower. One knows it is resting because its wings stop fluttering. Butterflies are sensitive to

sounds so one must be very quiet and slow in approaching the creature. When you are near

enough, shape your two hands in an inverted cup form and slowly enclose the butterfly. Make

sure you are not wrapping your hands around it too tight because you might squash it or damage

its wings. Make enough gaps between your fingers so the wings can fit. Gently place the

captured butterfly on a transparent container e.g. jars so you can eye it carefully. (Jones, 2011)

After failing several times in catching it with your hands, maybe its time to use some

materials such as net or a plastic bag. These methods are usually done when the butterfly is

floating in midair. If you don‟t have a butterfly net, you could make one. Search for a cloth mesh

or a net with medium-sized holes and a wire. Shape the wire into a circle and attach the net or

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mesh to make a net bag. Append a stick on one point to make a holder. However, if these

materials are unfortunately unavailable, a plastic bag would do. Just hold the plastic bag on both

sides and gently enclose the butterfly. Make sure the bag is big enough and immediately transfer

it to the container. Secure the bottle with a screen cloth and now you can closely observe the

butterfly and admire it. Make sure to release the butterfly because they usually have a short life.

III.  Keeping the Butterfly

Rizal‟s eldest sister Saturnina, had thought of buying and keeping a butterfly sometime in

1888. When Rizal went to see their Aunt, Tia Betang (Leonor Rivera‟s mother), Saturnina wrote

a reminder to his brother saying “Huwag mong kalimutan and tambol at paruparong ipinagbibili

sa Escolta”. Basing from 1888 editions of Diaryo de Manila, there were indeed  Mariposas en

 Botellas sold for two pesetas. And since Escolta had been the shopping center for socialites that

time, it was concluded by Fadul — the author of  Butterflies that Rizal Chased, Collected and 

Studied  — that the imported product was sold there and that they were the butterflies Saturnina

was referring to. (Fadul, 2008)

Just like the  Mariposas en Botellas, a butterfly keeper must secure a suitable cage for a

butterfly. This could be an aquarium or a jar. The opening of the jar or aquarium must be covered

with screen cloth so enough air and sunlight can enter. A lid with punched holes on it is not

advisable as the wings might be scratched when they touch the holes. But one cannot keep the

butterfly for long because their lifespan are just short.

IV.  Raising a Butterfly

However seeing how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly is a more rewarding task. First,

look for places where there is sunlight because they thrive in these places. They are usually

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found on respective host plants, depending on what specie you are looking for. For example,

monarch butterflies are usually found on milkweeds. The rule of the thumb in picking

caterpillars is that one should not pull them out using the hands because (1) caterpillars cling

tightly to things they crawl on and you might hurt their legs if you pull them out quickly, (2)

bacteria on your hands can give them infection (not the other way around) and (3) some

caterpillars are poisonous. Use a stick or a twig and let them crawl on it. Gently move them into

your container because it can die when it falls even in a short distance. (www.butterflyschool.org

2011) 

Caterpillar containers are usually an empty aquarium bowl or a jar. There are also ready-

made containers for caterpillars at pet shops or on E-bay. The lid of the container must be

covered with screen cloth for enough ventilation. This is preferable than a tin cover with punched

holes on it because its sharp edges might hurt the caterpillar or butterfly. The plant where you

found the caterpillar is usually the plant that he normally eats. Pick out a branch of that plant

with leaves on it and place them inside the container. Let the caterpillar crawl on it. Again, avoid

touching the caterpillar. Replace the leaves on a regular basis because caterpillars don‟t eat dried

leaves. Caterpillars are very fussy when it comes to their food and they are very particular in

what plant they eat. Depending on the specie of butterfly, they only eat specific types of leaves

but there are few which would eat anything. When the caterpillar is big enough, he would only

need a tiny amount of food and water or none at all. He only needs a humid environment. At this

point, the caterpillars are starting to transform. Ensure that the chrysalis or cocoon would hang

on a place where there is enough space when the butterfly‟s wings emerge. It would generally

take forty five days for a butterfly to come out. But some small butterflies appear within fourteen

days. (Ibid)

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The freshly emerged butterfly normally would not eat for a few hours. It would first

supply fluids to its wings. Then they would allow them to dry before it takes its first flight. Once

the wings are dry, take the butterfly out using your hands and bring them to a garden with

flowers. Some butterflies also like to eat ripe fruits. To get them, place your pointing finger

under its legs. Don‟t hold captive the butterfly for long. Some live for just one day so they must

be set free immediately.

V.  Preserving the butterflies

Rizal was given preserved butterflies and a butterfly net by his friend zoologist and

lepidopterist named Dr. Napoleon Kheil. The latter knew from Blumetritt that Rizal had put up a

school for boys in Dapitan so he sent some educational materials such as preserved butterflies for

the children to see and a butterfly net for Rizal to use for himself. Rizal met Dr. Kheil in 1886 in

Dresden, Germany where the latter lived. In Dr. Kheil‟s letters to Blumentritt, the brilliant

zoologist and lepidopterist expressed his respect and recognition to Rizal as “a noble

representative of colonial Spain (Fadul, 2008)”. (Ibid)

One needs not to be a zoologist or lepidopterist like Dr. Kheil to know how to preserve

butterflies. Some would kill a butterfly for aesthetic purposes. Some collectors would catch a live

butterfly, put it on a bottle with poison on it and let it die. But then again the authors would

highly discourage such cruel act. Instead, persistently find some dead butterflies around the

garden or wooded areas. The wings of a dead butterfly are usually closed and so stiff that if you

try to open them they tend to break. Thus one must first rehydrate the butterfly by putting it on a

relaxing chamber. A relaxing chamber could be likened to a spa experience except that it‟s done

in an air-tight container with four layers of damp towel below, a wire mesh and a cup of mouth

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wash poured on it. The butterfly is then placed on the wire mesh and covers the container. The

rehydration is done for two days. Check if the wings are moveable already and if they are, gently

get the butterfly out. Pick up the butterfly on its thorax and not on its wings because you might

cut them off. To preserve the butterfly, put it on a Styrofoam with a wax paper covering. Pin the

butterfly on its thorax and not on its wings. The thorax is the middle division of the butterfly‟s

body which is between the head and abdomen. Using a pair of tweezers, open up the pair of 

wings and spread them on the surface. The pair of wings must be laid flat on the Styrofoam.

Cover each segment with a piece of wax paper and pin them over. Leave it that way for a week.

After seven days, take out all the pins except for the one thrust on its thorax. Remove all the wax

papers and gently pin the wings directly on the Styrofoam. The preserved butterfly is then set for

framing. (Owyoung undated)

However, it couldn‟t be denied that there exist some issues in catching and collecting

butterflies. Although this is not quite prominent in the Philippines, the issue of butterfly poachers

have caught legal attention in the United States. Poachers would visit in national parks and

protected areas posing as butterfly enthusiasts and would secretly collect butterfly eggs and

cultivate them in a controlled environment. It is considered an environmental issue because they

have been collecting and trading a large amount of butterflies and most of them are endangered.

Some would buy rare butterflies for a huge amount of money. There were two cases of butterfly

poaching that eventually led to the passing of Lacey Act in the United States. The legislation

mandates the ban of the transport — both interstate and international — of endangered species that

have been obtained from poaching. This brought a significant impact on butterfly collecting

activities in United States. The Philippines has also laws regarding the protection of endangered

species and their environment but so far, there is a weak implementation of it. This weak 

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implementation is attributed to several reasons. First, there is a divided and weak-willed civil

society that would suppose to give pressure on the government on the protection and

conservation of wildlife and its environment for a sustainable development. This is necessary

especially in developing countries like ours because we rely on natural resources as our capital

inputs and generally, they are our livelihood. Second, there is little commitment or lack thereof 

of our national and local public officials in such endeavours. The third factor is more of a

definitional ambiguity. Some would not regard insects as part of „wildlife‟ protection and

conservation. In United States, there are some illegal collectors and traders of butterflies who

were able to escape lawsuits because — for one — the accused would contend the only get a small

amount of butterflies. A small or sustainable amount is dependent on the total population of the

specie and other special circumstances which would require extensive study and thus would

cause the delay of the case. Second, some judges would contend that insect orders are not

covered in wildlife conservation and protection laws. Furthermore, there are also non-profit

organizations that advocate for the protection and conservation of butterflies and their habitat.

Some of these are the International Federation of Butterfly Enthusiasts and the Xerces Society in

which the extinct Xerces butterfly was named after (Pyle 2009).

These issues and concerns should also be taken into consideration by butterfly enthusiasts

and butterfly keepers. Make sure that the butterflies you are catching or collecting are not yet

diminishing in numbers or are endangered. It‟s nice to see butterflies kept in an aquarium or a

caged butterfly garden but it would be prettier (and eco-friendly) to let the butterfly explore on

its natural environment. Butterfly enthusiasts are also encouraged to engage in studies about the

habitat, life cycle, diet and the like of butterflies in order to know the issues and concerns that

should be taken into consideration.

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