The “Flutterby” exhibit at the Roger Williams Park Zoo is in a new greenhouse maintained at a butterfly-preferred 80 degrees Fahrenheit with considerable humidity.

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The Providence Journal / Kathy Borchers

PROVIDENCE

Human beings are naturally attracted to butterflies.

They are beautiful, graceful and nonthreatening, plus their signature metamorphosis appeals to our soft spot for dramatic transformation.

Starting tomorrow, visitors to Roger Williams Park Zoo will be able to see butterflies flit by, feed on nectar, and for the very lucky, emerge from their jewel-like chrysalises, stretch their wings and take flight for the first time in their short lives.

“It’s really incredible to see, their wings just unfold,” said the zoo’s general curator, Pat Sharkey.

“Flutterby,” the newest exhibit at the zoo, will host more than 20 species of North American butterflies in a new 2,100-square-foot greenhouse maintained at a butterfly-preferred 80 degrees Fahrenheit with considerable humidity.

Visitors who walk along the curvy stone path flanked by nectar plants will see that the petite exhibit works to their advantage, offering close-up views of the winged beauties from almost any vantage point.

Among the species on hand are the classic monarch, cleverly colored buckeye and dramatically striped zebra longwing.

Exhibit managers said that at any given time, about 20 species and 500 butterflies will be living in the greenhouse, but because most butterflies live only two weeks, the number will fluctuate over the duration of the exhibit. New pupae will be shipped in from commercial breeders in Florida and Texas.

The last of the butterflies will die off shortly after “Flutterby” closes after Labor Day. The greenhouse will remain and probably host a tropical or international butterfly exhibit next year.

The budget of the exhibit is about $85,000, including the greenhouse, which was ordered and built by zoo staff.

Revered for their beauty for centuries, butterflies are also some of the most finicky insects around, with many species requiring a single plant or plant family on which to lay their eggs.

The monarch, for example, will lay eggs only on milkweed, a hairy, flowering plant that is considered a nuisance and commonly eradicated, Sharkey said.

The biggest threat to butterflies, Sharkey said, is loss of habitat because they are so specific when choosing their host plants.

The upside is that people, through their own gardens, can help create habitat for butterflies, such as monarchs and different species of swallowtails that frequent the New England area.

Inside the greenhouse and around it, zoo horticulture manager Peggie Ogert said there are more than 500 butterfly-friendly host and nectar plants, from native varieties such as New England asters and coneflower to exotic but regionally used vegetation such as hibiscus and begonias.

“It’s going to be a tremendous visual experience,” said Tim French, the deputy director of animal programs at the zoo. “There is just color everywhere and the butterflies flitting everywhere.”

The exhibit will have docents available to answer questions and share information about butterflies. The Wild Bunch, a crew of teen performers at the zoo, will give short butterfly-themed performances and talks.

Several events will celebrate the exhibit’s opening this weekend, including harpist Mary King tomorrow and a mural activity on Sunday.

“Flutterby” is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission to the greenhouse costs $3 for adults and $2 for children 3 and older, in addition to zoo admission.

ngarcia@projo.com