Butterflies
This is an old webpage carried forward to our new site. Please note that some of the information might be out of date and we probably have newer footage.
Butterflies
Butterflies and moths can of course be found throughout North America, from the frigid Arctic to the warm humid tropics.
Unfortunately, there is a concern for many species of butterflies with the primary threat to their existence being habitat loss. Consider that 99% of the North American tallgrass prairie has been destroyed and its no wonder that some species are in peril. Many other species are found in very small patches of habitat that are also threatened with destruction.
The conservation of butterflies and moths is important not only because they are beautiful and fascinating creatures, but also because they are important players in ecosystem function. Butteflies and moths are important pollinators for many species of plants and the young caterpillar stages are important food for many bird species.
Filming Butterfly Stock Footage
The joys of filming butterflies and moths is that it can be done almost anywhere, including in your own backyard or down the street at the open field or pond. About the only limitation is that you may be talking just a few months of filming in the northern latitudes, and that the wind can sometimes be a problem. And you don’t really need fancy equipment like a powerful and expensive telephoto lens. All you need is a decent video camera and a tripod.
However, to film a larve turning into a chrysalis and then the chrysalis metapmorphosizing into an adult butterfly or moth you may want to have a studio. A studio allows you to control factors such as lighting, precipitation, and wind. Some of these transformations can be somewhat slow so you will want the capability for time lapse, i.e., speeding up your film. If you can’t find caterpillars in the wild you can purchase them from online vendors (who fortunately, are required to abide by federal laws so they don’t introduce species into non-native habitats).