Stratford Butterfly Farm offers free entry for mums

The Stratford Butterfly Farm is laying on an extra treat in order to spoil mums this weekend. Mums can visit the Butterfly Farm on Saturday 17 March and Sunday 18 March free of charge and at the same time see two unusual new guests which have just arrived – ‘Dragon Headed Grasshoppers’ and ‘Frog Beetles’.

A number of ‘Dragon Headed Grasshoppers’ have just arrived at the Butterfly Farm for the first time. These very unusual and highly bizarre looking creatures get their name from the shape of their head which is thought to scare away predators. Their bodies can grow up to 11.5 cm with wingspans of over 22 cm making them one of the world’s largest insects. They come from a family called the Orthopterans which contain more than 20,000 species worldwide, being most diverse in the tropics. The grasshoppers, which feed mostly on fruit, live in humid conditions with 70% to 80% humidity and temperatures of up to 30?C.

Also new to the Butterfly Farm are ‘Jewel Beetles’ or ‘Frog Beetles’ as they are more commonly known. The Beetles, which originate from South East Asia, have large hind legs which resemble those of frogs. Their legs have a spine which is powerfully driven into a predator so the Beetle can defend itself.

The Beetle’s exoskeleton is green with a cerise and gold coloured band running down its back giving it a metallic appearance. Their eggs are laid on host plants or soil and the larva is commonly found inside the plant stem. The larvae are a major pest on yams and cause serious damage by forming abnormal growths of plant tissue inside the stems, destroying them as they emerge as beetles.

With 30 of these Beetles on display at the Stratford Butterfly Farm, along with hundreds of spectacular and vibrantly coloured butterflies, mums are sure to enjoy a complimentary visit to the Butterfly Farm this weekend.

The Butterfly Farm is open from 10:00am to dusk during wintertime. For more information on the Stratford Butterfly Farm, please visit the official website at: Butterflyfarm.co.uk