Photos

Now we are inside the structure located in the foreground of my previous picture.
It's the "José Márcio Ayres Reserve", a complex of butterfly and hummingburd house, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Leaning over the red flower you can see one of the honorable guests of the place, maybe getting ready for a snack.

It's a truly amazing experience to be there, because, depending on the time of the day you visit the place, you may be surrounded by dozens of butterflies and hummingbirds flying in all directions. In the end of the day (when I took this picture), the butterflies are preparing for rest, making the task of those who want to photograph them somewhat easier.


Here are the links for two videos (not mine) I found that give a good idea of how is the sensation of being there during the "rush hour" of the butterflies:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xDBSBAHWpA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K6XPXSlHao

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About the butterfly house:
(I’ve translated it from Portuguese, sorry for any mistakes)

With an approximate area of 1.400m², the José Márcio Ayres Reserve, named after a scientist, pioneer in the conservation of the Amazonia, has an annex where there are breed 18 species of butterflies of the Amazon Rainforest. Each month, about 4500 caterpillars are born. In their adult stage the butterflies are brought to the butterfly house, where they can be appreciated by the visitors.

Each morning, the caretakers replace the nectar in the fountain. And everyday 100 new butterflies are introduced in the space. The caretakers clean the annex, feed the caterpillars and hang all the chrysalides in the leaves. They also have to collect the eggs in the butterfly house.

The butterfly house also presents an exhibition with 400 stuffed butterflies. This collection shows to the public the varieties and peculiarities of the butterflies of the Amazon. The displays also show the complete life cycle of each species.

In addition to the multicolored insects, the annex also breeds the fruit fly (drosophila), that’s used as food by the hummingbird, which can also be found in the reserve. The hummingbird feeds of an artificial nectar (in fountains) and of flowers present in the place.

The reserve also has waterfalls, water mirrors and a lake that houses 15 native species of fish. The metallic structure is covered with a shade fabric that controls the intensity of natural light that enters the environment.

Sources: Myself and www.mangal.com.br/reserva.htm (or here)