The Life Center: A Haven for Butterfly Conservation

Nixon works at the Life Center in Mashpi Lodge and is in charge of maintaining and finding the host plants for butterflies.

To find the plants where butterflies lay their eggs, which are very specific for each species, Nixon goes to the Chocó Forest and meticulously tracks the butterflies.

When the butterflies are about to lay eggs, they perform something similar to a dance around the plant before landing on its leaves. Once Nixon has seen that the butterfly has laid eggs on that plant, he takes this plant and plants it in the greenhouse of the Life Center to reproduce it.

After the successful reproduction of the plant, the butterfly is taken to the CDV laboratory for the study of its life development. On this occasion, Nixon shows us the host plant of the Heliconius atthis butterfly, a beautiful Passiflora reticulata.