Watch the Christmas Butterfly in flight at Stratford Butterfly Farm!

Escape the cold this winter and feel the festive warmth at Stratford Butterfly Farm this Christmas. With temperatures of 25°C, the popular attraction is the ideal place to take family and friends to enjoy the heat of a summer’s day, however distant that may feel!

Visitors can watch the stunning Christmas Butterfly, also known as Papilio demodocus as it flies around the rainforest flight area. This beautiful butterfly, which is primarily black and yellow, is native to Africa and has an average wingspan of 9 – 11cm. The caterpillars feed on citrus trees and hence is also known as the ‘Citrus Swallowtail’.

New on display in Minibeast Metropolis are two Giant Hooded Katydids, also known as Siliquofera grandis, which are native to Papa New Guinea. They are named after the large ‘hood’ which makes up the first segment of the thorax. The specimens on display at the Butterfly Farm are incredibly large with a wingspan of 25cm. They are unique in the fact that the Butterfly Farm is the first only UK Zoo to have them on public display!

The entire family can also get up close to creatures such as Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches, African Land Snails, and a variety of Stick Insects by taking part in the Meet the Mini-Beast handling sessions which take place daily in the Discovery Zone at 11am from 17 December – 3 January.

Jane Kendrick, Marketing Manager at Stratford Butterfly Farm said, “With hundreds of spectacular butterflies including our stunning Christmas Butterfly, plus meeting our new inhabitants, Meet the Mini beast handling sessions, and browsing in our Gift Shop, we have all the ingredients for a truly tropical Christmas this year!”

The Butterfly Farm’s Gift Shop is a treasure trove of ideas and a wonderful place to buy stocking fillers and nature inspired presents. Gift vouchers for admission and season tickets are a lovely way to treat family and friends to a tropical rainforest experience and can be purchased from the website.

To see hundreds of spectacular butterflies, insects, reptiles, and spiders visit the Butterfly Farm from 10am to 5:00pm, last entry 3.30pm. Open every day of the week except Christmas Day. For more information including purchasing gift vouchers, admission prices and group rates, please visit the website at www.butterflyfarm.co.uk or telephone on 01789 299288.