Fifteen butterflies have taken up residence in the paludarium on the first floor of the Faculty of Biology. They are specimens from the collection of Kacper Krajewski, a first-year Biology undergraduate student. They represent five species, all native to Asia, except Papilio demoleus, which is found in the Middle East. Dr Elizabeth Sontag from the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology helped to release the insects.

‘I started being interested in insects when I was 11 or 12 years old. I always liked unusual things. When we were at the zoo, everyone ran to watch the lions, and I went to the reptiles,' says Kacper Krajewski. 'I started by breeding praying mantids or ants, then I started looking into butterflies. At that time, there wasn't much information on the subject. Once I had gathered experience, I tried to spread this knowledge as a volunteer in Butterfly Poland.’

The paludarium on the first floor of the Faculty of Biology is a suitable space for butterflies. The exhibition opened on March 18, 2019, and is intended to mimic the environmental conditions of the Tepui Mountains in the Guiana Highlands of South America. Recreating this site requires providing the plants with adequate light (a long and sunny day of at least 14 hours) and nighttime temperature drops, for example, by using an air conditioner.

'It is not yet possible to create a butterfly house in the department, but we already have promotional activities planned,' says Kacper Krajewski. ‘If I am honest, my life plans are varied. I want to stay at the university and work as a researcher, but I can adapt to many situations. I have a wide range of skills, so I'm sure I can cope.’

It is worth mentioning that some butterflies from Kacper Krajewski's collection can be found in the Faculty of Biology outside the paludarium. During the transfer, two specimens escaped from the exhibition. At the moment, they are probably flying between the ribs of a fin whale, prowling the amber forest or watching cichlids from Lake Malawi.