The Butterfly Garden at the Detroit Zoo features butterflies from Costa Rica and El Salvador. Over the course of a year the zoo receives about 75 different species, and in 2005 it received a total of 11,916 butterflies. The difficulty in photographing them is that it's hard to get them to sit still for a portrait. Furthermore, the Zoo does not permit the use of tripods to avoid interfering with other visitors. Despite these obstacles, I have added more butterflies to this gallery since I began photographing in the Butterfly Garden in June, 2006.

I have learned that correct identification of butterflies can be extremely difficult. Fortunately, there are three individuals at the Zoo who have outstanding knowledge in this area. I wish to thank Ms. Laura Palombi, Mr. Michael Puppan, and Mr. Stefan Mantyk for their assistance in providing correct identification for a number of the butterflies in this gallery. Until recently Ms. Palombi was Associate Curator of Invertebrates; Mr. Puppan is the zookeeper for birds; and Mr. Mantyk is the Guest Relations Supervisor in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, which houses the Butterfly Garden. Their help is greatly appreciated. I have also benefited substantially from Jeffrey Glassberg's book, "A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America" (Princeton University Press, 2018) in providing correct identification to some of the butterflies in this gallery. Any remaining errors are of course mine.

Ms. Palombi has requested permission to use photographs in this gallery to develop a chart for use in the Butterfly Garden. With her assistance I have photographed a number of select butterflies shortly after they have emerged from their chrysalises since December, 2006. Therefore, the gallery contains some of the lesser known species obtained in this manner. Please note that all of the butterflies photographed in this gallery are live specimens.

As of January 24, 2007 when the Zoo project officially ended, this gallery contained 48 butterfly species and 116 butterfly photographs. The most common butterflies seen in the Butterfly Garden are the Common Blue Morpho, the Owl Butterfly, the Banded Purple Wing (Blue Wave), the Tiger Longwing, and the Grecian Shoemaker based on 2005 data. For the benefit of the viewer, profile (ventral or wings closed view) and overhead (dorsal or wings open view) photographs of the same species are placed next to each other and above each other in certain cases where feasible. Please note that I have continued my photography in the Butterfly Garden through 2018 and plan to go beyond then.

Finally, I would like to thank Pbase artist Sayer for very helpful discussions concerning techniques for photographing butterflies. His knowledge in this area has been invaluable. Also I wish to thank John Gerlach, who has made an important suggestion to me concerning the photography in this gallery. In addition, John and Barbara Gerlach's book, "Close Up Photography in Nature," contains a valuable chapter on "Special Photo Tehniques for Butterflies and Dragonflies," from which I have benefited greatly.

Please keep in mind that butterfly photography can be accomplished with or without flash. For particular reasons I have chosen to use a combination of flash and ambient (natural) light in making most of these images.

Please click on an image to see it in full screen size. Thanks for looking, and all comments are welcome.

Jay Levin