www.mgaylard.co.uk Benalmadena

Mariposa Tropical (Benalmádena Butterfly Park),

Calle Muerde, 29630, Benalmádena, Andalusia, Spain

Mariposa Tropical is a beautiful butterfly park located in Benalmádena, Málaga, Spain. This tropical paradise is home to over 1,500 butterflies from around the world, as well as exotic plants and waterfalls. It offers a unique and immersive experience for visitors of all ages, making it a popular attraction on the Costa del Sol.

Owl Butterfly ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The owl butterflies (genus Caligo) are very large, crepuscular Neotropical butterflies best known for their dramatic eyespots on the underside of the hindwings that mimic predator eyes; they occur in rainforests from Mexico through Central and South America and are commonly seen in tropical butterfly houses worldwide

Brazilian Red Cloaks ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Moon moth ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Moon moths are large, often greenish Saturniid moths in the genus Actias (commonly called moon or luna moths); adults have long hindwing tails, do not feed as adults, and live only a few days while their caterpillars feed on broadleaf trees such as sweetgum and mulberry

Ailanthus_silkmoth ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The Ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia) is a large saturniid moth whose caterpillars commonly feed on Ailanthus (tree-of-heaven) and related plants; it has been used for coarse “eri” silk and has established introduced populations outside Asia, including parts of Europe and North America.

Gouldian Finch ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) is a striking, small Australian finch prized by aviculturists worldwide; it is currently listed as Least Concern by IUCN but faces serious local declines in northern Australia and legal protection under Australian law, so most birds you’ll see in the UK are captive-bred descendants of earlier exports

Atlas moth ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is one of the world’s largest moths, with a wingspan commonly around 20–25 cm and a wing surface area often exceeding 160 cm²; it is native to tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and the adult does not feed, living only a few days to mate and lay eggs.

Owl Moth Feeding ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Monarch ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Gonimbrasia ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Gonimbrasia is a genus of large African saturniid moths (family Saturniidae) that includes economically and ecologically important species such as the mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina); these moths are best known for their sizeable, often gregarious caterpillars and wide distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. For Michael in Horsham: you’ll only encounter them in collections, museums, or specialist exhibits in the UK rather than in the wild.

Epiphora Moth ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

Epiphora are a genus of large African saturniid moths (family Saturniidae), native to sub-Saharan Africa and containing dozens of species — the group includes visually striking adults and often gregarious, economically important caterpillars; in the UK you’ll only encounter them in museum collections, specialist exhibits, or private entomological holdings

White Witch Moth ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The White Witch moth (Thysania agrippina) is one of the world’s largest moths by wingspan (record ~30 cm) and occurs across tropical Americas from Mexico to Uruguay

Spanish_Moon_Moth_Mariposario_de_Benalmádena_20171023_20171023_1501.jpg ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The Spanish moon moth (Graellsia isabellae) is a rare, emerald-green saturniid native to mountainous Spain and parts of southern France; it overwinters as a pupa, emerges in spring (late April–May), and its caterpillars feed mainly on pine needles (Pinus nigra, P. sylvestris) — it is the sole species in the genus Graellsia and has a restricted, relic alpine distribution.

Common Postman ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The “Postman” or Common Postman is Heliconius melpomene, a brightly coloured Neotropical butterfly famous for Müllerian mimicry and pollen-feeding

View of Benalmádena ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The “Large Tree Nymph” is Idea leuconoe (also called the paper-kite or rice-paper butterfly): a large, slow-flying Southeast Asian danaid often shown in tropical butterfly houses; adults have a wingspan of about 12–14 cm and larvae feed on toxic vines in the genus Parsonsia making the species unpalatable to predators

Green Iguana ‐ photo by Michael Gaylard,
©www.mgaylard.co.uk.

The green iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous lizard native from southern Mexico through Central and South America; adults commonly reach 1.5–2 m total length, can live 8–20+ years in captivity, and require large, warm, humid enclosures with UVB lighting and a high-leaf/vegetable diet

Open the full set

Benalmádena

Monowa (the former Mariposario de Benalmádena) is Benalmádena’s tropical butterfly park — open daily 10:00–18:00, home to 1,500–2,000 free-flying butterflies from 50–150 species seasonally, and tickets are sold on the park’s official site; the attraction relaunched with a stronger conservation and education focus under the Monowa name.

What you’ll see and learn

Live metamorphosis: the park schedules live chrysalis hatching demonstrations (puparium shows) at regular intervals so visitors can watch butterflies emerge.
Species diversity: specimens come from Asia, Latin America and Africa, with weekly species rotations and curated exhibits highlighting pollinators and life cycles.
Immersive environment: tropical planting, humidity, fruit feeding stations and water features recreate a rainforest microclimate for natural butterfly behaviour.

Conservation, education and recent relaunch

Relaunch & mission: Monowa relaunched with renewed emphasis on conservation, science and education, funding projects internationally (Thailand, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Africa) and locally supporting regional butterfly protection initiatives.
Educational focus: new exhibits include breeding-area access, a pollinating insects exhibit, and an interactive “My Butterfly” space designed to engage children and schools.

References

monowa.es , euroweeklynews.com , zoospedia.com , Text generated by Microsoft CoPilot

Michael Gaylard Photography

Benalmadena