In 1984, he and his wife converted a horse pasture into one of Latin America s first butterfly farms. Stressing the importance of preserving the butterfly habitat, the couple trained local people in conservation methods and assembled a work force of native Costa Ricans. Eventually 15 of these people started their own butterfly farms. Actually, no special effort is necessary. The breeding of butterflies occurs naturally in the tropical forest.
Farmers place house-sized netted cages on the forest floor, then add adult butterflies.
The eggs are placed on proper host plants in smaller cages, where they hatch into larvae, or caterpillars. As they develop, the larvae are transferred to new plants until they become pupae. During this period the pupae are shipped, with the timing being critical. If the package is lost in the mail, the butterflies will emerge and die before they arrive at a butterfly house. Upon arrival at its destination, the chrysalis is ready to spread its new wings as a butterfly.