Their favourite habitat is the rainforest. The numbers of daily visitors will be limited, and social distancing guidelines will be strictly enforced. Have fun! The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the leading Kuranda attraction. They are Australia’s only bright red butterfly and one of the few predominantly red butterflies in the world. The lifecycle of a butterfly starts with the female butterfly who deposits her eggs onto a specific plant. 1,299 Reviews #2 of 22 things to do in Kuranda. Inside the pupa, the body of the caterpillar deconstructs and then reforms into the butterfly. Now, more than ever, we need the community to support us and we hope we can offer some much-needed adventures in your own backyard. The females are reasonably big and quite beautiful, they lay their eggs in clusters on the tendrils of certain types of wild passionfruit vines. The female Hercules moth is bigger than the male because it has to carry a belly full of eggs – up to 300 of them. The food plant for the caterpillars is Adenia heterophylla. COVID-19 Update: To limit the spread of the coronavirus, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. The food plants for the caterpillar are Adenia heterophylla, Hollrungia aurantioides and Passiflora aurantia. Chances are that if conditions are conducive and the plants occur throughout your region, the butterflies and moths will also be there to take advantage of the food. The host food plant for the caterpillar is the leaves of the Mulberry tree. Both the caterpillar and the butterfly display warning colours to deter predators. The female has odour detectors which allow her to locate the plant, sometimes from as far away as two or three kilometres. I was very surprised. Nature & Wildlife Areas. The new skin has enough stretch in it to allow further growth and during its time as a caterpillar, it will repeat this process another three times. Caterpillars are very specific about what they will and won’t eat, so female butterflies are equipped with an extremely good sense of smell in order that they can lay their eggs on the correct plant(s). The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is located at 8 Rob Veivers Drive, in the heart of Kuranda Village only half an hour from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, Australia. These butterflies only live between 7 to 10 days. The food plant for the caterpillar is Hemigraphis sp. Each cocoon is made of a single thread that measures approximately 914 metres long. Get the full experience and book a tour. Hi, Thanks so much for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and taking the time to leave a review. These butterflies can live between 3 to 5 weeks. It’s best to check with your local nursery as to whether or not the plants are available/will grow in your area. A real treat to wander around the sanctuary, having butterflies land on and around you. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, which is home to more than 1,500 superb tropical butterflies including the spectacular Ulysses. Located in the heart of Kuranda Village, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is … The effort and manner they go to ensuring we can enjoy nature is the best. The males and females have the same markings but the male has brighter orange colouring. Tip to get them to land on you is wear light colours. They have been known to stay in their cocoons from two months to two years. The caterpillars get so large that they end up looking like green pork sausages with legs. Be careful with the amount of fertiliser you apply. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary: Butterflies - See 1,301 traveler reviews, 1,118 candid photos, and great deals for Kuranda, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as Australia's largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit. This butterfly gets its name from the fact that the food plant of its caterpillar is citrus for example, lemon, orange and grapefruit – all of which are often grown in orchards. Three thousand cocoons are required to produce 1kg of silk. Hi, Thanks for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and for taking the time to leave your review. 1,299 Reviews #2 of 22 things to do in Kuranda. Hercules moths are seasonal, however our breeding program is so successful that we always have Hercules cocoons, caterpillars or moths on display and sometimes all three at the same time, usually from September to June. They are also known as the “Varied Eggfly”. Approximately four to five days after the fertilised egg has been laid, the caterpillar eats its way out of the shell, often turning around and ingesting it. The female butterflies are unusual for butterflies – the individuals exhibit great variability in the colour and patterns found in their wings, so no two females are ever alike. Recreated habitat with running streams and all. The bright green Cairns Birdwing Butterfly certainly is a show stopper! This butterfly lives usually up to 9 weeks, but some specimens can live for up to nine months. Its common name is “Mountain Blue Butterfly” and is a large swallowtail butterfly. Very tranquil & relaxing spot with many colourful butterflies flying all around you. Nature & Wildlife Areas. Guide for Hotels Near Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda. It is the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia – an all-weather experience in the heart of the beautiful Kuranda village. Things to do in Kuranda ; Australian Butterfly Sanctuary; Search. The wing span of the butterfly is approximately 7 cm. Not all the butterflies and moths listed below will fly in your area – a huge percentage of Australia’s butterflies and moths are found in the tropical rainforests in north Queensland (which is why we are here!). Kuranda is an arts and crafts hub tucked away in the cool of the mountains just outside of Cairns. It’s not fancy, over done, rather, it is a perfect environment for humans to interact with butterflies. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda: Hours, Address, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary Reviews: 4.5/5. Birdworld Kuranda. Our aviary is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and is home to over 1500 free-flying butterflies, including the bright green Cairns Birdwing. Caterpillars are fussy eaters, and usually a species will only eat one or two types of plants. What is the reason for all this complexity you may ask? Our most popular tours and activities. Then off it will fly, ready to play its part in starting the entire life cycle all over again. The Goliath Moth is one of the largest on the planet, so they are always incredible to see. Often the new skin differs slightly in pattern or colour to the previous one. © Capta Group 2015 | Designed & Powered by ResPax, What plant species you need to grow to attract specific butterflies, Some Jewel Butterflies; Tailed Emperor; Damels Blue; Ghost Moths, Eye Spot Moths; Large Leaf Moths as well as others, Orange Cruiser; Red Glasswing; Orange Lacewing, Fiery Jewel; Copper Jewel; Greenbanded Blue; Small Greenbanded Blue; Indigo Flash; Diggles Blue; Ghost Moths; Yellow Emperor Moth, Pale Green Triangle; Green Triangle; Green Triangle, Green Spotted Triangle; Pale Green Triangle; Green Triangle; Blue Triangle; Common Red-eye, Cairns Birdwing; Red-Bodied Swallowtail; Big Greasy, Leafwing; Danaid Eggfly; Blue Banded Eggfly; Blue Argus, Common Aeroplane; Tailed Emperor; Helenita Blue, Nectar for butterflies; Ghost Moth; Emperor Gum Moth, Four O’Clock Moth (day flying moth and beautifully coloured), Tailed Emperor; Macleays Blue Triangle; Purple Brown-eye; Common Red-eye, Citrus – esp grapefruit, lemon & lime trees, Orchard Butterfly; Dingy Swallowtail; Chequered Swallowtail; Ambrax; Hummingbird Moth; Emperor Moth, Macleays Swallowtail; Blue Triangle; Common Oakblue, Good source of nectar for most butterflies and moths, Fiery Jewel; Crow butterflies; Foam Moths; Large Leaf Moth, Common Oakblue; Common Tit, Common Tailed Emperor; Pale Ciliate Blue; Eone Blue, Crow butterflies; Common Moonbeam; Foam Moths, Common Oakblue; Hercules Moth; Ghost Moths, Black & White Tiger; Lesser Wanderer; Blue Tiger; Common Crow, Common Red-eye; Rare Regent Skipper; Fiery Jewel, Dull Oakblue; Common Oakblue; Ghost Moths: Flowers attract a range of butterflies, Ulysses butterfly; Ghost Moths; Emperor Moths, Northern Jezabel; Union Jack; Common Jezabel; Nysa Jezabel; Genoveva Azure; Purple Azure; Olane Azure; Dodds Azure; Cooktown Azure; Silky Azure; Amaryllis Azure; Narcissus Jewel; Diggles Blue; various Oakblues; Mistletoe Emperor Moths, Blue Banded Eggfly; Common Daniad Eggfly; Leafwing; Blue Argus, Four Bar Swordtail; Pale Green Triangle; Green Spotted Triangle, Common Oakblue; Narcisuss Jewel; Copper Jewel; Emperor Moth, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary Media Releases. In the early stages, the caterpillars are brown, white and shiny and look like bird droppings, which provides an effective camouflage. 9 reviews of Australian Butterfly Sanctuary "First of all I must admit I wasn't too excited about going into the Butterfly Sanctuary. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary . Kuranda Koala Gardens. Hi, Thanks for visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and for taking the time to leave your review. The Ulysses caterpillar is green and white which is the same colour as the plants they feed on. Bookings These butterflies display warning colours, but are not toxic – they mimic poisonous butterflies. This provides excellent camouflage from predators. Book your tickets online for Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda: See 1,296 reviews, articles, and 1,111 photos of Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 22 attractions in Kuranda. Males and females are sexually dimorphic (they look different from each other). Free flying habitat. To check out our locals rates click here. Even that can affect a caterpillar’s sensitive constitution. Tip to get them to land on you is wear light colours. Our Silkmoth display is a seasonal display with the eggs hatching and caterpillars eating during the months of September to May. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary . The trick to encouraging butterflies into your garden is to cultivate these plants. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in the Southern Hemisphere. Nature & Wildlife Areas. Two distinct advantages are that the adult form (butterfly) eats nectar, rotting fruit or sometimes sap, and does not compete for food resources with the young (caterpillars). If the female laid on the correct plant, the caterpillar then goes on to eat its first meal, and with a few exceptions, this meal is basically uninterrupted – these caterpillars are the original eating machine. Being able to fly in the reproductive part of the cycle also means that the gene pool is greater than if restricted to a small area. A free shuttle service operates from the Kuranda Skyrail Terminal and the Kuranda Scenic Railway Station to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, or it is only a short walk. Don’t have then in a prime spot in your garden – remember the whole idea is that the leaves will be eaten by caterpillars! In the current climate, the safety of our guests, team and the public is our priority. Things to Do in Kuranda ; Australian Butterfly Sanctuary; Search. It stands to reason then that having these plants in your garden will attract female butterflies from all around your area – some can even smell their host plant from several kilometres away! Their longevity and endurance is aided by the fact that this butterfly hibernates for much of its life. The Ulysses wing span is between 100 and 130 mm. Join a complimentary guided food plant walk, which takes a look at the caterpillar food plants grown on-site. Please consult government travel advisories before booking. The Guinness Book of Records states it had an incredible wingspan of 36cm (14.17 inches). This is when the Mulberry leaves are growing well and provide abundant food for the caterpillars to eat. It is a very simple, perfect way to show our native butterflies so well. 1,299 Reviews #2 of 22 things to do in Kuranda. When the butterfly finally emerges, it is a fully formed adult, with only the wings needing to be pumped up and dried. The numbers of daily visitors will be limited, and social distancing guidelines will be strictly enforced. Very tranquil & relaxing spot with many colourful butterflies flying all around you. Kuranda Tourism; Kuranda Hotels; Kuranda Bed and Breakfast; Kuranda Holiday Rentals; Kuranda Packages The largest Hercules moth ever recorded was a huge female caught in 1948 at Innisfail, just south of Cairns. The caterpillar’s food plants are citrus trees. The caterpillar spins a silken pad, then using hooks on the bottom end of its body (called the “cremaster”) which it attaches to the silk. The wingspan of the butterfly is up to 14 cm. The food plant for the caterpillar is Adenia heterophylla.